Worldwide Golf May 2015

The Middle East's No.1 Golf Magazine

Worldwide

EST.1999

MAY 2015 ISBN 978-9948-15-427-3

Rose

97 8994 81 5427 3

Justin

TALKS ABOUT HIS RECENT WIN AND HIS SUMMER MAJOR MINDSET

DUBAI DUTY FREE WHY THEY ARE SUPPORTING RORY’S IRISH OPEN

TITLEIST BALL FIT Know if you are playing the right ball

COVER MAY.indd 1

Clubs

TESTED 3 WOOD MUSCLE

Callaway 815 Cobra FlyZ+ TaylorMade R15

Arabian

GOLF The Latest News From The Leading Clubs In The Region Official Media Partner to the European Tour and the Challenge Tour in the Middle East

Official magazine of the EGF & the Arab Golf Federation

28/04/2015 13:04

Watch the La VERSATILE MUSCLE Cobra Flyz+– Callaway 815 – TaylorMade R15

PUNCH IT DOWN!

LISTEN FOR THE STRIKE

atest Videos MATT TURNER

DRAW IT

RIGHT

LEARN HOW TO HIT THE HOLY GRAIL OF SHOTS

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GARY PLAYER – EXECUTIVE EDITOR SINCE 1999

Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose are superb ambassadors for the game o golf.

Rory detractors are missing the point

L

Gary Player – The 9-time Major Champion and 9-time Senior Major Champion who has witnessed and been a part of some of the most historic and memorable golfing occasions, reflects on the game today.

AST month’s Masters Tournament was an occasion to savour with Jordan Spieth cruising to his first Major title in the fashion of a true champion. I was surprised to see that Rory McIlroy didn’t really break into contention, but then not many players did, such was the performance from young Spieth.

Although Rory finished fourth after a superb 6-under-par final round, he was six shots behind Spieth’s total. Some poor putting let McIlroy down in the early rounds, and his charge to join the elite list of Grand Slam winners never really got going.

I was surprised to read in the press after The Masters that some distinguished commentators in the game are worried Rory might be exercising and working out in the gym too much.

First Tiger Woods bore the brunt of this form of criticism when he burst onto the scene as a true athlete back in the late 1990s.

Now they’re moving the focus to Rory, whose physique has changed considerably – and for

the better – since he came to the fore a few years ago.

The fact that Rory is No.1 in the world means he can’t be doing too many things wrong. He wasn’t far off at the Masters – he just didn’t putt as well as Spieth. Of course, no one else was able to touch Spieth on the tough greens at Augusta National.

What are the people who should know better talking about? Here I am, in my 80th year, and yesterday I lifted 410lbs with my legs. I did 1,000 crunches and completed the last 200 with 100lbs on my chest. Although I’m almost 80 my golf game is getting better – I’m averaging 70.

Now, of course, some people who don’t believe in exercise are overweight and are going to condemn diets and working out because they have no idea of the benefits. This is mindboggling to me. How can anyone condemn exercise when the world is becoming more and more obese?

Our foods have steroids, antibiotics and hormones in them – it’s cheap poison. This is what we should be condemning.

We are blessed that we have

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people like Rory and Jordan and Justin Rose – all fine young gentlemen and ideal ambassadors of this game. They are excellent role-models.

They don’t use bad language, and their behaviour is exemplary.

One shining example of their dedication to the game is what Rory is doing for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open through his Foundation. Golf in Ireland has been on a recent resurgence with Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Rory all wining Majors, so it’s good that the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is gathering the support the tournament deserves.

With Rory and his Foundation now benefitting from such excellent sponsorship, as well as from the support of top players confirming their participation, it’s going to be one of the strongest fields the event has ever had.

I’m sure the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open will be an outstanding event that will hopefully inspire and encourage even more youngsters in Ireland to start playing the game. n

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CONTENTS 05/15

JUSTIN ROSE

Rose Justin

Blossoming in Spring THE month of April has seen a turnaround in fortunes for Justin Rose, one of the most popular and personable players in world golf. His second place finish in the Masters, swiftly followed by his spectacular victory in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, has lifted him from 9th to 6th in the World Ranking and to 3rd in The Race to Dubai. Spring has suddenly sprung for the blossoming Rose. With a succession of big events ahead he’s finally found his form and his confidence and he’s looking forward to a Summer spree, adding more Majors to his 2013 US Open title.

30

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Features Rose 30 Justin With a return to form at The Masters and a win in WATCH THE VIDEO AT WWGOLF.NET LOOK OUT for these icons throughout Worldwide Golf as you will be able to view the features and instructional videos online at www.wwgolf.net

New Orleans, the Englishman is licking his lips in anticipation of the remaining Majors of 2015.

McLoughlin 36 Colm The Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman

sits down with WWG to discuss the company’s illustrious history, its vision going forward and their title sponsorship of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Royal County Down GC.

Style That!

87 Kop WWG caught up with former Liverpool and

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Perfect marriage of power and grace

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Radisson Blu

95

Calvin Klein Golf

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Tee Times

The 2015 Dodge Charger SXT 3.6l gets a test drive.

Luxury in the heart of golf land.

The famous designer label has been in the golf market since 2007. We take a look at a selection from their 2015 range.

Jaermann & Stübi St Andrews Links ST6, the Parmigiani Tonda 1950 Squelette and the Rado Diamaster Diamonds come under the spotlight.

England striker Robbie Fowler before he teed off in the Icons Cup at Dubai Creek last month.

ISSUE No. 168, MAY, 2015 Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd Published in Dubai by: Prografix, PO Box 24677, Dubai, UAE (Tel) +9714 340 3785

Printed by: Raidy, Dubai

Editor-in-Chief: Mike Gallemore Executive Editor: Gary Player Editor: Alex Gallemore alex@wspglobal.com Publisher: Mike Gallemore mike@wspglobal.com

Editors: Todd Staszko, Mohamed Suleman

General Manager Dubai: Richard Bevan rick@wspglobal.com

Editorial Panel: Gary Player, Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Todd Staszko

Marketing & Advertising Director: Chirstopher Sargeant

Photography: Getty Images

June 2009 SSN 1- 46805671 Approval UAE National Media Council: Ref.816 30/5/2007 Trade Licence No. 1/104375/15280

Worldwide Golf specifies that post-press changes may occur to any information given in this publication and takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

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Callaway 815

The 815 fairway wood has more features than a Swiss Army knife. It is packed with Callaway’s Hyper Speed Face Cup technology to create speed across the face but especially towards the bottom, making it versatile from both the tee and off the fairway. It comes with the OptiFit hosel which gives players 8 adjustment options and comes in lofts starting at 14 degrees with a 43 inch Fujikura Speeder 665 shaft.

The adjustability is enhanced dramatically with the two sole weighting options. With the 30g weight positioned towards the face it lowers the spin and improves distance. With the 3g weight at the front the club it gives a higher launch and more forgiveness.

BALL SPEED MPH

117.4 169.7

LAUNCH ANGLE Deg

SPIN RATE RPM

CARRY Yards

TOTAL Yards

The Fly-Z+ has a compact head shape and sits slightly open at address. It’s Cobra’s Front CG Zone Weighting and Crown Zone Weighting that moves the Centre of Gravity of the clubhead lower and forward. This is designed to give players a higher launch, lower spin and faster ball speed.

The Fly-Z+ has a SmartPad and a MyFly hosel to help golfers gap their fairway wood yardages. Loft options in the 3-wood are adjustable from 12-to-15 degrees along with three draw settings.

TaylorMade launched a first with the new R15, their first sliding weight track on a fairway wood. The 25-gram weight can be positioned closer to the heel for more draw bias and more toward the toe for more fade bias.

TaylorMade engineers claim the weight track acts in a similar way to a Speed Pocket, allowing for the face to flex more for a higher launch, less spin and more ball speed — even on mishits.

The R15 fairway woods have a 4-degree Loft Sleeve like the R15 driver and comes in lofts of 15, 16.5, 19 and 20.5 degrees.

MATTHEW TURNER TRACKMAN FIGURES

CLUB SPEED MPH

Cobra FlyZ+

TaylorMade R15 SMASH FACTOR

6.1 3955 261.6 281.2 1.45

TESTED

VERSATILE MUSCLE

MATTHEW TURNER TRACKMAN FIGURES

CLUB SPEED MPH

BALL SPEED MPH

115.1 165.3

LAUNCH ANGLE Deg

SPIN RATE RPM

CARRY Yards

TOTAL Yards

SMASH FACTOR

9.4 5070 254.1 265.1 1.44

It’s rare we see Tour pros looking to run a ball onto long holes as they prefer to bombard the greens from the air with as much drop and stop as possible.

The modern 3-woods give both the Tour pro and the amateur flexibility, as this is arguably designed to be the most versatile club in the bag. You need to assess how you want the club to work for you on the day. In the past, many Tour players would have a number of drivers and 3-woods available and they would select the right one for the conditions.

If you are warming up on the driving range prior to starting your round and

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SPIN RATE RPM

4382 CARRY Yards

254.7 TOTAL Yards

270.9 SMASH FACTOR

1.42

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PGA Teaching Professional, AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB

T SEEMS that just about every right-handed golfer wants to hit shots that move right to left, otherwise known as a “draw.”

Mastering it will make you the envy of your playing partners, as it’s the most elusive ball flight pattern for most golfers to achieve.

In this article, I want to show you a few things that will help you understand how this right-to-left pattern is created through the actions of the clubface and club path at impact.

Here we have a typical scenario. A pulled tee shot on the 18th at Al Hamra Golf Club has left me 250 yards to the green and an over-hanging branch blocking my second shot. The ideal play would be a shot where we can move around the tree and get a good distance up the fairway.

Gary Player, Greg Norman, David Howell and Pete Cowen give their views on the issues facing the game of golf.

Exclusive interview with Matt Turner and all the latest news from the leading clubs in the region.

Tour News 22 28

Oman hosts 2015 Grand Final

The NBO Golf Classic Grand Final is the new season-ending event of the Race to Oman for the European Challenge Tour season from 2015-2018.

World Round-Ups

Reports, quotes and results from the recent events on The European Tour and the US PGA Tour.

Remember, in order to hit a push draw, golfers need an in-to-out path and a face angle at impact that is pointing left of the path at impact, yet still to the right of the target. That allows the ball to fly correctly before curving, finishing on line with the intended target. Remember to address the ball aligning where you wish the ball to start. It may also be beneficial when trying to hit the draw shot to place the ball slightly further back in your stance than normal. From here, concentrate on making a swing that is inside to out and focus on keeping the club out in front of your body post impact.

A good drill to work on your ball’s curvature is to place an alignment stick into the ground in-line with your target and try to hit balls that curve around it from right to left. This will help you move your path to the right with a clubface that is closed to the path, yet open to the target.

CLUBFACE TARGET LINE

Columnists

Arabian Golf

ROSS McARTHUR

One common mistake I see with amateurs who try to hit a draw is that they “over-close” the face at impact, which increases the face-to-path difference and causes the ball to curve too much. This will cause a hook that more often than not will finish well left of the target. In the example on the left, you will see that although the in-to-out path has not changed, the clubface is pointing left of the target through and post impact where the hands appear to have “flipped” the club. This shot will start too straight and curve away to the left of target, which is not a controlled draw.

This “straight” draw is misunderstood by many golfers, as they think they can get the ball to start more to the right of the target by swinging with more of an in-to-out path. Doing so with the same clubface alignment, however, will only cause the ball to start at the target and hook even farther to the left due to the increased faceto-path difference.

I

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166.1

in many ways that’s three clubs for the price of one.

In this Golf House test local professional Matthew Turner puts the Callaway 815, Mizuno Fly-Z+ and the R15 3-woods through their paces.

With a swing speed getting top side of 117mph he’s one player who would look to use the 3-wood off both the tee and off the deck.

But battling with spin and having an understanding of how quick the wind can pick up in the UAE Matthew is aware that control is just as vital as distance.

DRAW IT RIGHT

latest goings on in the world of golf.

117.2

BALL SPEED MPH

7.3

your driver is going sideways, you might be best opting for a stronger, lofted 3-wood off the tee. You might only lose 10 yards in some cases but finding the fairway early on is a great confidence booster. If, on the other hand, you are striping your driver and feel confident in taking on the par-5s then it might be worthwhile to alter the loft accordingly to give you the chance to hold the green.

So when you come to selecting your INSTRUCTION new 3-wood, take into account how versatile it has to be with loft variations.

Through the adjustments, some can play from a 2-wood through to a 4-wood. So

Regulars Starter 14 The Wentworth Club’s West Course and all the

CLUB SPEED MPH

LAUNCH ANGLE Deg

Off the tee and off the deck ... these clubs can save the day

FOR some players a 3-wood can be the safe option off the tee but others also like to hit it off the deck to reel in those long par-5s in two. Like the modern day driver, the 3-wood technology is all about lowering the spin and meeting optimum launch.

This is great for the tee shot where the player is looking for a little more control over the driver but would still like the ball to run out as much as possible to gain those precious yards. But for the player looking to hold the dry greens and approach areas on the par-5s in the Middle East this could pose a problem.

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MATTHEW TURNER TRACKMAN FIGURES

CONTENTS 05/15

GEAR

SWING PATH

For the ideal shot, we want to get the swing path moving from inside to outside, and the clubface to be pointing somewhere between the target line and the swing path. Since the face controls the ball’s initial starting direction, it has to be right of the target line or the ball would not begin to the right.

The shot will then start out to the right and curve back to the target. In a true draw, you impact the ball with an open clubface, not a closed one.

BALL-FLIGHT

SWING PATH

TARGET LINE

WATCH ROSS SHOW YOU HOW IT’S DONE! Subscribe to youtube.com/WorldwideGolf like us on Facebook.com/WorldwideGolf

CLUB FACE

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Gear 3 wood muscle tested 43 Versatile Cobra Flyz+, Callaway 815 and the TaylorMade R15 get the TrackMan treatment.

more bang for your bucks 48 Getting The TaylorMade SLDR vs R15. ball fitting 50 Titleist Are you playing the right one?

Rhapsody 54 Ping More than just looks for their new ladies set.

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Instruction it right 58 Draw Ross McArthur, PGA Teaching Pro at Al Hamra GC, Ras Al Khaimah, shows you the fundamentals of hitting a draw.

for the strike 60 Listen Tim Backhouse, Teaching Pro at The

European Tour Performance Institute offers some advice on how to hit clean chip shots every time.

it down 62 Punch A simple drill to help you nail the

transition into the downswing from Stephen Dean, Head Professional at Emirates Golf Club.

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Golf rewards athleticism

H

AS golf become all about distance?

The purists have been banging on about how the game’s great golf courses are becoming redundant.

The USGA and the R&A have been unable to halt the evolution of the power game.

Major Champions such as Padraig Harrington are working extra hard to add more distance off the tee. When you look at the Official World Ranking these days, the top 20 is dominated by players who average over 290 yards off the tee. Considering that many of these top-flight Tour pros, like Henrik Stenson, sometimes opt for a 3-wood instead of a driver you can see the advantage they’ve got over players like former World No.1 Luke Donald, who averages around 274 yards these days – 30 yards shorter than the current No.1 Rory McIlroy!

Many distance critics are crying out for the ball to be limited in order to close the distance gap between the shorter and longer hitters.

However, I believe the game has evolved to the point where it can’t be reversed. It’s pointless looking back. We should simply embrace the game for what it now is. Enhanced technology has had its part to play in generating sales but in the professional game, thanks to a certain Tiger Woods, many Tour pros are gaining distance not just from their ‘go-further’ clubs but also from a structured gym programme.

YOUNGER GENERATION

The younger players coming through the ranks spend just as much time in the gym as they do on the driving range and on the course. Building power and safeguarding their bodies from injury is drummed into them at an early age. Golf has become a sport for athletes. The days of the overweight pro relying on talent alone are fast disappearing and with the Olympics around the corner seeing golf as an athletic sport can only be good for the image of the game.

There is huge satisfaction in hitting the ball further off the tee than the other guy.

Many amateurs, myself included, spend far too much time on the range with a driver instead practising on the putting green.

‘Bigger, faster, stronger’ is what we all want to achieve. In all events we’ve played, there’s always the ‘top dog’ Long Drive prize but there’s never a ‘Fewest Putts prize.’

Why not? Because we’re obsessed with booming it a country mile. When Bubba Watson mashed a drive and played a wedge into Augusta’s par-5, 13th last year,

the golfing world sat back in disbelief and amazement. A feat that was talked about in awe for most of last year. Yet I can’t remember anyone talking about an unbelievable putt or bunker shot to anywhere near the same extent.

The manufacturers are convinced that distance is the key selling point for them.

Every driver is always ‘faster, longer, straighter’ - that’s what sells.

Sadly, I have to say to the critics of this obsession with distance, you are trying to swim upstream. Driving is only one part of the game. Regardless of how far you hit the ball, you still need to have an all-round game,

Alex Gallemore, Editor Worldwide GOLF 12

hit your iron shots well, putt accurately and get the ball in the hole, to be in the top 50 in the Official World Ranking. The longer hitters are able to play into the greens with a more lofted club but they’ve still got to hole that ball.

If you want to close the distance gap then the answer lies in the hands of the tournaments. Smaller greens, tighter fairways and thicker rough is a good oldfashioned leveller. If the bombers feel they want to take the risk of missing the fairway and struggle to get it back in play or lose valuable control out of the rough, it will make them think twice. n

THE BALL THAT CHANGED THE BALL.

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The

COURSE Wentworth West

England's pride

F

EW tournaments anywhere around the world can boast a Past Champions board as impressive as the one at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the flagship event of The European Tour.

First played in 1955 and then a part of The European Tour since the Tour’s inception in 1972, the tournament has grown into one of the richest events in world golf – both in terms of history, prestige and prize money. In 1972, when Tony Jacklin won, the pot was €19,000. This year it will be €5,000,000.

The championship has been held on the iconic West Course at Wentworth Club every year since 1984 and the likes of Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, José Maria Olazábal, Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy have all triumphed over this parkland treasure. Colin Montgomerie scored a hat-trick of wins on the course between 1998 and 2000.

While South African legend Ernie Els is yet to win a BMW PGA Championship, he is a seven-time winner of the World Match Play Championship held on the West Course where he used to own a house overlooking the 16th green.

Els’ affinity with the course was strengthened in 2010 when he completed work on tweaking some aspects of the course – including a complete change to the closing hole.

Seve Ballesteros won the Match Play four times between 1981 and 1985 and returned to the West course to win the BMW PGA Championship in 1981.

Wentworth has a wealth of tradition. In 1964 the inaugural event of the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship was played on the West course when Arnold Palmer defeated Neil Coles 2&1. The following year Gary Player won the tournament for the first of five times before1973. Sir Nick Faldo won the Match Play four times while poor Ken Brown was the runner-up on no fewer than four occasions.

Location: Virgina Water, Surrey,England Opened: 1926 Yardage: 7,308 yards Par: 72

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STARTER Event fact

There have only ever been two albatrosses at the BMW PGA Championship – Pierre Fulke at the 12th in 1994 and Miguel Angel Jiménez at the 4th in 2009.

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THE MONTH IN NUMBERS...

150

José Maria Olazábal’s share of ninth place at the Trophée Hassan II was the 150th top ten of his European Tour career THE US PGA Tour went nine weeks before someone finally converted a 54-hole lead into victory with Jimmy Walker’s win at the Texas Open

9

STARTER ACCURACY OVER-RATED?

J.B. Holmes became only the fifth player on the US PGA Tour since 1983 to collect multiple wins by hitting less than 50 percent of his fairways. Holmes hit 44.6 percent at this year's Shell Houston Open and had an accuracy percentage of 46.43% at the 2014 Wells Fargo Championship. Tiger Woods (9 tournaments finding less than 50 percent of the fairways), Corey Pavin (2), Jason Day (2) and Geoff Ogilvy (2) are the others who show that accuracy isn’t always at a premium on the US PGA Tour. Holmes also became the eighth player since 1983 to win an event while finishing last in the driving accuracy stats.

LINCICOME STARTS THE MAJOR SEASON WITH A BANG

76.68 The first round scoring average at the Texas Open was 76.685 – the toughest single round in a nonMajor on the US PGA Tour since 1999

THE LPGA Tour had the honour of hosting the first Major of the golfing season and the ANA Inspiration (formerly the Kraft Nabisco Championship) didn’t disappoint.

America’s Brittany Lincicome was in familiar territory as she stood over her ball on the fairway of the par-5 closing hole at Mission Hills Golf Club. In 2009 she launched a hybrid from 210 yards to four feet to set up an eagle for a one-stroke win. This year she had 190 yards to go. With a 5-iron she played almost the exact same shot and rolled in the eagle putt to force a play-off with Stacy Lewis. The 29-year-old outlasted Lewis over three holes to win her second Major title.

25 The number of aces on The European Tour so far this season

25

For the first time since the World Rankings were introduced, the top two players are aged 25 or under.

McIlroy is 25, Spieth, 21.

FALDO AND WATSON SET TO BOW OUT Sir Nick Faldo will bid farewell to The Open at St Andrews in July while Tom Watson, 65, says next year’s Masters will probably be his last. After Turnberry in 2009, is it too late for one last hurrah?

WHAT THEY SAID...

KERR ENDS LONG DROUGHT LPGA Tour legend Cristie Kerr won her first title in almost two years at the Kia Classic in late March. Three stokes back entering the final round, Kerr shot a superb 65 to complete a two-stroke win for her 17th LPGA Tour title.

n “He used to be worse – he used to always do it. I don’t know how you would describe it or what causes it.” – Justin Thomas, childhood friend of Jordan Spieth, on the new Masters champion's habit of talking to his ball a lot.

n “I've got my pop back," – Tiger Woods' comment after the Masters. n “''I'm going to have nightmares about that guy,''–Jimmy Walker on Jordan Spieth after he had held off a spirited charge from the 21-year-old to win the Texas Open.

GAINING DISTANCES ON TOUR In 2009 only 8 Euroepan Tour players averaged over 300 yards off the tee. So far this year there are 28 players booming it 300+. The US PGA Tour's stats are similar – 13 over the 300 mark in 2009 and

Worldwide GOLF 16

20 so far this season. Last year 25 US PGA Tour players averaged over 300 yards.

Scott Henry averages 315.8 yards off the tee and leads the European Tour Driving Distance stats.

STARTER CAPTAIN PRICE HOPING TO MAKE PRESIDENTS CUP FAIRER THE INTERNATIONAL Team Captain Nick Price is hopeful he can convince USA Captain Jay Haas into decreasing the number of matches during The Presidents Cup at Incheon Golf Club, South Korea, from October 8-11, in order to make the biennial event more competitive. The USA have won the last six meetings and the US PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem says it is a decision that must be agreed between the two captains. At The Ryder Cup, teams play just 16 team matches compared to 22 at The Presidents Cup, which means the weaker International players have nowhere to hide. “In all this talk about The Ryder Cup taskforce there has been no talk about changing the points structure, which means they have a wonderful recipe, and

I think it will be nice if we can get something similar to that,” said Price. Meanwhile, Ernie Els backed up his Captain, saying: “I hope they

look closely at it for our sake.

We’re not a deep enough team to play for all those points.

Hopefully, the American guys will see it that way.”

KO A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY

Before the second round of the ANA Inspiration, 17 year old Lydia Ko hadn’t shot over par on the LPGA Tour since November last year.

MOLINARI DQ’D IN CHINA

Edoardo Molinari fell foul of a bizarre rule at the Shenzhen International last month after he was docked twostrokes when his caddie took a quick buggy ride between the 9th and 10th holes. Not knowing the offence comes with a two-stroke penalty the Italian signed for a 75 instead of a 77 and was promptly disqualified.

WEATHER CANCELLATIONS – RARER THAN YOU THINK In light of the unfortunate outcome of The European Tour’s Madeira Islands Open, which was cancelled due to extreme adverse weather conditions, you’d be surprised to learn that very few professional events get cancelled due to the effects of mother nature.

The last European Tour event to fall foul of the weather was the 1998 European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall in the northeast of England. In 2009 the Viking Classic, held during the US PGA Tour’s ‘Fall season’, was cancelled after more than 20 inches of rain fell in the space of six weeks, while in 1996 the prestigious AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was cancelled when it became clear three rounds couldn’t be completed due to excessive rainfall.

Prior to that you have to go back to 1949 for the last US PGA Tour cancellation and that came about due to course flooding at the Colonial Country Club in Texas when the Trinity River burst through the levees.

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The Road to Oman ends with

the Grand Final

The National Bank of Oman is honoured to bring to Oman the European Challenge Tour’s prestigious Grand Final! Along with this new event is a newly formed Challenge Tour ‘Road to Oman’ rankings system, where the top 45 players gain entry to the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final. Players will then compete for $350,000 and a ‘Road to Oman’ bonus pool along with chance to earn their European Tour cards. Visit the Challenge Tour website for more information about the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final & ‘Road to Oman’ rankings.

4th November to 7th November 2015 Almouj Golf, The Wave, Muscat

Tour News Dubai Duty Free Irish Open set for strongest-ever field THIS year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open will feature some of the finest players from around the world with Patrick Reed, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald the latest players to confirm.

The trio join the likes of Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Rickie Fowler, tournament host Rory McIlroy and a strong Irish contingent which includes Major winners, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell, as the event enjoys a huge resurgence under the sponsorship of Dubai Duty Free, hosted by the Rory Foundation.

Last year’s US Open winner and Ryder Cup star Kaymer has only played two Irish Opens, back in 2007 and 2008, but is a proven links winner with victories at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews and the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Meanwhile, Reed makes good his vow to play a more worldwide schedule with his tournament debut and Luke Donald tees it up in the event for the first time since 2004.

Meanwhile, two-time Open Champion Ernie Els is hoping McIlroy will return the favour and play in his national open. “Rory and I struck a little deal,” Els told reporters in Northern Ireland. “I’m going to play in his Irish Open this year on an unbelievably classic links course. I’m hoping to get him to play in our home open, the South African Open. We’ll see how that pans out.”

Early Bird discount for the best view on Earth at the DPWTC HOSPITALITY packages for the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, in November are on sale now – and with a 10% discount for all ‘early bird’ guests the best view on Earth just got better.

The European Tour’s season-ending tournament on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Thursday

19th to Sunday 22nd November will feature some of the best players in the world in a battle for honours and you can be there too, watching in luxury from the Championship Chalet, which flanks the stunning 18th hole.

Guests enjoy first-class catering in a relaxed environment in the comfort of the Pavilion or outside on the shaded

viewing terrace. Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and a full bar is available as well as a ‘Grab & Go’ option to take refreshments onto the course.

Daily, Corporate and Season packages are available to suit everyone’s needs.

Book now to secure your seats to watch World Number’s 1 and 3 Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson, plus Masters runner-up and current World No.6 Justin Rose who have already qualified for the thrilling end to The European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

“Hospitality tickets have sold out every year so book now to avoid disappointment,” said Nick Tarratt, Director of The European Tour, Dubai Office.

The DP World Tour Championship hosts the top 60 golfers on The European Tour in the final tournament of the 2015 Race to Dubai.

Book now for the best view on Earth.

Daily, Corporate and Season Packages available.

www.dpworldtourchampionship.com

For tickets: call +971 (0) 567 359 852 email Hospitality@DPWTC.com

Tour News SIGNING CEREMONY FOR THE 2015 NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN GOLF CLASSIC GRAND FINAL Pictured from left to right: H.E. Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed bin Said Al Mardhouf Al Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs; National Bank of Oman Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Al Musalmi; and Nick Tarratt, Director European Tour International, Middle East.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO OMAN SULTANATE TO HOST CHALLENGE TOUR CLIMAX

G

OLF in the Middle East received another huge boost with the news that the season-ending Grand Final of the European Challenge Tour is to stay in the region, in Oman, for at least four years, after the National Bank of Oman took over the event which had been hosted in Dubai for the past two years.

The CEO of National Bank of Oman, Ahmed Al Musalmi, made the announcement last month at the host venue Almouj Golf, The Wave in Muscat that the Challenge Tour’s top 45 players would return to the Sultanate from Wednesday November 4th to Saturday November 7th 2015 to contest the newlycoined NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

Not only that, the European Challenge Tour Rankings are to be rebranded as the ‘Road to Oman’ in a move which mirrors The European Tour’s renaming of the previous Order of Merit to The Race to Dubai, further cementing

the region’s position at the epicentre of golf outside the US. Ahmed Al Musalmi also announced that the agreement would include the bank’s commitment in growing the game of golf in Oman at the grass roots level.

“We continue to support our Nation’s growth and prosperity through our corporate social responsibility initiatives, and this is another momentous occasion for the National Bank of Oman,” said Ahmed Al Musalmi.

“We are proud to announce three outstanding golf initiatives with the European Challenge Tour that will carry the name of the Sultanate all around

the world. Oman created history on Europe’s top development tour when in 2013 it became the first country in the GCC to stage a Challenge Tour event, the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic.

“We had the opportunity to show the world what Oman can offer in terms of staging a prestigious world-class sporting event.

“Having hosted the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic for two successful years as the penultimate tournament of the European Challenge Tour season, we are honoured this year to be bringing the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final to the Sultanate.”

“We continue to support our Nation’s growth and prosperity through our corporate social responsibility initiatives, and this is another momentous occasion for the National Bank of Oman.” – Ahmed Al Musalmi, CEO, National Bank of Oman

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NBO GOLF CLASSIC GRAND FINAL – A JUST REWARD

T

HE hosting of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, which will enjoy the added bonus for spectators with a Saturday finish this year, is the next well deserved step for a tournament that has made a huge impact on players and golf fans alike since beginning life in 2013.

The National Bank of Oman (NBO) has successfully hosted the penultimate event of the Challenge Tour season for the past two years at the breathtaking Greg Norman- designed Championship course, Almouj Golf, The Wave, alongside the Gulf of Oman in Muscat, but now its significance has increased to a whole new level as the $397,000 (€375) NBO Golf Classic Grand Final for the next four years.

The Challenge Tour is ‘Where Heroes Are Made’ and it is at the conclusion of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final when the top 15 players in the newly-coined Road to Oman Rankings are duly rewarded with graduation to The European Tour International Schedule in 2016, where they will fulfil their lifelong dreams of playing alongside the biggest stars in world golf.

The overwhelming success of the tournament over these past two years has rightly earned the Sultanate a fitting selection for the biggest tournament of the 2015 Challenge Tour season.

Last year’s tournament was described as “one of the best courses we played all year” by three-time European Tour winner Johan Edfors. The event received glowing praise from fellow players, officials, dignitaries, VIPs and spectators not only for the excellence of the links-style Almouj Golf course but also the magnificent organisation of the event.

The tournament is sure to become one of the most popular venues in the long history of the Challenge Tour’s season-ending finale.

It becomes the third successive year the event has taken place in the region, having been held in Dubai for the past two seasons.

Alain de Soultrait, Director of the European Challenge Tour, said: “For the past two years National Bank of Oman has created one of the most successful and popular tournaments on the Challenge Tour schedule, so it gives us great pleasure to work with them on what is the biggest tournament

of our season, the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final. The players have spoken very highly of Almouj Golf, The Wave, which is a true Championship course in one of the most beautiful locations we visit, with many of them saying it is the best course they have played on our Tour. We must extend our sincere thanks to National Bank of Oman and its Chairman Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi for showing such vision and commitment in

“The event has certainly been a success story which has earned global recognition not just in becoming the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final but it has also put Oman firmly on the golfing tourism global map.”

– Ahmed Al Musalmi, Chief Executive Officer, National Bank of Oman

making this significant step up by becoming the host of our most prestigious event and we know NBO will provide a professionally organised set-up worthy of our Grand Final.”

The event will also feature a tournament that will run in conjunction with the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, strictly for eligible Omani players in a move that signals National Bank of Oman’s commitment to growing the sport from the grass roots in the Sultanate.

Ahmed Al Musalmi, Chief Executive Officer of the National Bank of Oman, concluded: “The fact that National Bank of Oman has invested in the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final by committing to the title sponsorship of

Last year’s champion Max Orrin with the trophy at the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic prize presentation ceremony with Ahmed Al Musalmi, Chief Executive Officer National Bank of Oman (1st left), H.E. Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs (4th left), Paul Gregorowitsch, CEO Oman Air (6th left) and other VIPs.

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the tournament for the next four years is another example of the vision of the Bank in widening its horizons and appealing to a completely new global audience.

“The event has certainly been a success story which has earned global recognition not just in becoming the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final but it has also put Oman firmly on the golfing tourism global map.

“National Bank of Oman is strongly committed to supporting Oman’s socioeconomic development by investing in projects and events that support the Nation. We also hope that these events will encourage young Omani players to take up the game of golf and represent our country in world-class tournaments.

“We have many people to thank for the support they have provided. All we have to do now is make an even bigger impression with the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.”

Alain de Soultrait, Director of the European Challenge Tour

Tour News

BUMPER BONUS ON THE ROAD TO OMAN

T

HE new Road to Oman rankings will offer the tantalising prospect of an added US$65,000 Bonus Pool for the top three players following the conclusion of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

The player who tops the rankings will not only be awarded the honour of being crowned Challenge Tour Number One - receiving an engraved Rolex watch - but he will also receive the lion’s share of the Road to Oman Bonus Pool, an added $32,500.

The development marks an exciting new era in the Challenge Tour’s 27 year history and provides further proof of its increasing strength and success in producing Europe and the world’s most talented young players.

While seven of last year’s Ryder Cup-winning team – Thomas Björn, Jamie Donaldson, Stephen Gallacher, Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson – have all passed through the Challenge Tour ranks, more recent graduates include American Brooks Koepka, Branden Grace of South Africa, and the promising Frenchmen Alexander Levy and Gary Stal.

Alain de Soultrait, Director of the European Challenge Tour, said: “This is an exciting new development for the European Challenge Tour. Our schedule has for many years taken us to every corner of the earth and this year’s Road to Oman will see us visit places such as Kenya, Kazakhstan and China before ending in a nation which is

displaying great vision and commitment in growing the game of golf.

“There is no better place to finish our journey than Oman’s beautiful capital Muscat and the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

This year’s Road to Oman is set to be the most exciting season in the history of the Tour, especially at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, where the battle for the extra Bonus Pool on offer will add to the enthralling race for European Tour graduation.”

Ahmed Al Musalmi, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Bank of Oman, added: “As each stop along the Road to Oman takes the players closer to Almouj Golf, The Wave, Muscat, and their European Tour destiny at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, Oman’s global profile will be raised further on the world golf map. It adds another dimension towards taking all the benefits Oman can offer to worldwide horizons.”

DETAILS OF THE AGREEMENT • 4 year Agreement: 2015 – 2018 for both the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final and the Road to Oman.

• Prizefund for the 2015 NBO Golf Classic Grand Final – €375,000 ($397,000).

• Road to Oman Bonus Pool – €60,000 ($65,000).

• 1st - €30,000 ($32,000), • 2nd - €20,000 ($22,000), • 3rd - €10,000 ($11,000).

Nick Tarratt, Director European Tour International Middle East “These three announcements in this four year agreement – 2015 - 2018, the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, the Road to Oman and the Omani Nationals golf initiative are a remarkable statement of the commitment from National Bank of Oman and Oman, less than three years since our first discussions on the Challenge Tour coming to the Sultanate.

For the past two years NBO has created one of the most successful and popular tournaments on the Challenge Tour schedule, so it gives us great pleasure to work with NBO on what is the biggest tournament of our Challenge Tour season, the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

We must especially extend our thanks to National Bank of Oman, to the Chairman, Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi, to the CEO, Ahmed Al Musalmi and to Humayun Kabir, General Manager Wholesale Banking, National Bank of Oman, and his team for showing such vision in making this significant step up by becoming co-promoters and

Pictured Left to right with the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final trophy: Simon Duffield, General Manager, Almouj Golf, The Wave, Muscat, Oman; Humayun Kabir, General Manager, Wholesale Banking, NBO; Nick Tarratt, Director European Tour International Middle East; and Hassan Abdul Shaban, Divisional Head - Government and Business Synergies, NBO. title sponsors of our most prestigious event of the season. We know National Bank of Oman will provide a professionally organised set-up worthy of our Grand Final, which is unique in that it embraces our Challenge Tour partners. We acknowledge this support, especially from the R&A, Rolex, Titleist and Abacus for their continued participation.

All the players have spoken very highly of Almouj Golf, The Wave, which is a true championship golf course in one of the most beautiful locations on the Tour, with

many of them saying it is the best course they have played on the Challenge Tour.

The Road to Oman rankings will see the climax to the Challenge Tour season that has 25 tournaments around the world and has already begun with last month’s Kenya Open.

The Road to Oman will now be a 23 tournament, seven month journey until the Challenge Tour arrives in Oman at Almouj Golf, The Wave, for the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

“We look forward to seeing you all then.”

Worldwide Television Statistics

Omani National Amateurs Initiative

WITH the uplifting of the tournament, and for the first time, the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final will have 4 x 1 hour TV highlight programmes that will be distributed to over 367 million homes around the world in addition to coverage on European Tour Weekly, Golfing World and the Challenge Tour Series, a dedicated Challenge Tour programme.

THE NBO Golf Classic Amateur Grand Final will be played over 36 holes at Almouj Golf, The Wave, in parallel to the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final. There will be a maximum field of 12 Omani Nationals invitees playing a two-day strokeplay event prior to the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final over the last two days, Friday and Saturday.

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Golf’s Best Kept Secret!

“One golf course that is close to my heart is Almouj Golf, The Wave in Muscat (Oman). It’s one of the finest golf courses I have designed anywhere in the world…”

Greg Norman “The best course and event among the 27-Challenge Tour venues.”

European Challenge Tour Players “Almouj is a Jewel”, “Fantastic!”, “Breathtaking!”, “An amazing Golf Course”, “I don’t play golf but I love the place.”

Trip Advisor Review Titles “Best Course in the Middle East; I live in Dubai so have played all the Dubai and Abu Dhabi courses too, but this course has now become my favourite…”

Trip Advisor Review

For more information, visit www.almoujgolf.com For reservations, call: +968 2200 5990 or Email: golf@almoujgolf.com THE GOLF COURSE

•

THE ACADEMY

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•

5 STAR FACILITIES

Tour News Date: Mar 26 - 29 Event: Valero Texas Open Venue: TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas Winner’s Cheque: $1,116,000

Date: Mar 26 – 29 Event: Trophee Hassan II Venue: Golf du Palais Royal, Agadir, Morocco Winner’s Cheque: €250,000

WALKER EASES TO HOME STATE WIN

RAMSAY RECOVERS TO WIN

JIMMY Walker cruised to his second win of the season with a commanding 4-stroke victory over Jordan Spieth at the Valero Texas Open. Played on a course just a 30-minute drive from his house, Walker reaped the benefits of his local knowledge to collect his fifth US PGA Tour title.

“To play this well at home in front of everybody, is amazing. I just tried to stay composed and not get ahead of myself. No lead is safe and on this golf course and a big number is right around the corner if you’re not careful.”

Pos. Name 1 Jimmy Walker 2 Jordan Spieth 3 Billy Horschel

Country USA USA USA

-11 -7 -4

RICHIE Ramsay recovered superbly from dropping four shots in two holes early on to clinch a one-stroke win over Romain Wattel at the Trophee Hassan II. Ramsay began the final round with four birdies in six holes but gave them back with a bogey and then a triple bogey on the par-3 eighth. Three birdies in succession on the back nine helped seal the win.

“I made six, as simple as that. I just didn’t execute the shot the way I wanted too. I knew I was still in the mix and I made some great putts to keep the momentum going. This win means a huge amount. to me”

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

Pos. Name

71 67 69 70 71 69 71 70 72 70 71 71

277 281 284

1 2 3

Richie Ramsay Romain Wattel Chris Wood

Country Sco Fra Eng

-10 -9 -8

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

72 66 71 69 68 74 67 70 67 72 74 67

278 279 280

Date: Apr 2 - 5 Event: Shell Houston Open Venue: GC of Houston, Humble, Texas Winner’s Cheque: $1,188,000

Date: Apr 16 - 19 Event: Shenzhen International Venue: Genzon GC, Shenzhen, China Winner’s Cheque: €386,168

HOLMES PIPS SPIETH AND WAGNER

PLAY-OFF WIN FOR APHIBARNRAT

J.B. Holmes wrapped up his second title of the US PGA Tour season after outlasting Jordan Spieth and former winner Johnson Wagner at the Shell Houston Open. Holmes shot up the leaderboard with a stunning 8-under 64 to set the clubhouse target. Spieth was first to miss out when he bogeyed the first sudden-death hole and when Wagner missed a short putt for par on the next home Holmes was the champion.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat defeated home favourite Hao-tong Li with a birdie at the first extra hole of a play-off to clinch his second European Tour title at the Shenzhen International. The Thai had led going into the final round but could only post a level-par 72 to finish level alongside Li who had carded a fine 5-under 67. However, it was Aphibarnrat who prospered in the play-off with a snaking birdie putt which was met with a massive roar of approval.

“It was a perfect day for me. I hit a lot of great shots, holed some great putts. It was just awesome. I’m trying to just take it one shot at a time and just do the best I can.”

“I had a chance to win in 72 holes but the putt in the play-off is the best putt I have ever made in my life.”

Pos. Name 1 J.B. Holmes T2 Johnson Wagner T2 Jordan Spieth

Country USA USA USA

-16 -16 -16

00 | WorldwideGolf - May 2014

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

Pos. Name

65 70 73 64 69 68 66 69 69 66 67 70

272 272 272

1 2 3

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K. Aphibarnrat Hao-tong Li Tommy Fleetwood

Country Tha Chn ENG

-12 -12 -11

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

67 69 68 72 71 73 65 67 70 69 69 69

276 276 277

WORLD ROUNDUPS Date: Apr 16 - 19 Event: RBC Heritage Venue: Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina Winner’s Cheque: $1,062,000

Date: Apr 23 - 26 Event: Zurich Classic of New Orleans Venue: TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana Winner’s Cheque: $1,242,000

FURYK ENDS 4-YEAR WINLESS STRETCH

ROSE 'S MAGNIFICENT SEVENTH

JIM Furyk defeated Kevin Kisner with a birdie on the second play-off hole to win his first title since the 2010 Tour Championship and his second career win at the RBC Heritage. Furyk and Kisner both finished strongly with rounds of 63 and 64 respectively for 18-under.

They both birdied the first play-off hole before Furyk birdied the 17th to win.

“I can’t think of a more fitting place to kind of break my streak and get another win under my belt. This is my favourite event. I love being here.”

Pos. Name 1 2 3

Jim Furyk Kevin Kisner Troy Merritt

Country USA USA USA

-18 -18 -16

JUSTIN Rose romped to his seventh title on the US PGA Tour with a one-stroke victory over Cameron Tringale at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Rose opened with a 69 but then posted 66-65-66 for a 22-under-par total, one clear of Tringale with Boo Weekley a shot further back. Rose didn’t drop a shot during the final three rounds to stamp his authority on the tournament.

“This is a great shot in the arm for my confidence and I've just got to keep it going. Now I can target the Major championships all the way through the summer.”

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

Pos. Name

71 64 68 63 68 67 67 64 69 61 69 69

266 266 268

1 2 3

Justin Rose Cameron Tringale Boo Weekley

Country ENG USA USA

-22 -21 -20

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

69 66 65 66 69 65 68 65 64 70 69 65

266 267 268

Date: Apr 23 - 26 Event: Volvo China Open Venue: Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club Winner’s Cheque: €498,095

WU CREATES HISTORY AT HOME ASHUN WU became the first Chinese player to win in China on The European Tour after a one-stroke victory over David Howell at the Volvo China Open. Howell was coming down the par-5 18th level alongside Wu but his 6-footer for par missed left and handed Wu the title. France’s Alexander Levy put up a superb defence of his title but had to settle for a share of third place alongside Emiliano Grillo and Prom Meesawat. Both Howell and Levy shared the overnight lead heading into the final day but they both fell short of the target set by the home favourite. China's Hao-tong Li finished in sixth place

“It’s a wonderful day today. I played very good today and I’ve enjoyed this week.

It’s very special winning the Volvo China Open and it’s very exciting.”

Pos. Name 1 2 3

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WU, Ashun HOWELL, David LEVY, Alexander

Country CHN ENG FRA

-9 -8 -7

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

73 66 69 71 68 72 68 72 69 68 71 73

279 280 281

MASTERS REWIND

How Jordan Spieth ruled Augusta JORDAN SPIETH’S MASTERS FACTFILE:

SPIETH’S MASTERS PERFORMANCE STATS: l GIR: 75% (54/72)

l Youngest player to lead after the first round

l Fairways hit: 70% (39/56) l Driving distance: 282.75 yards (ave: 288)

l Lowest 36-hole score ever at a major championship (-14)

l On the green Spieth was better than the field average on all four days and averaged 1.5 putts per GIR compared to 1.65 for mean average.

l Lowest 54-hole score ever at the Masters (-16) l Most birdies at the Masters (28) l First player in almost 40 years to lead the tournament wire-to-wire. The last was Raymond Floyd in 1976 and before that it was Jack Nicklaus in 1972 and before that it was Arnold Palmer in 1960.

KEY GEAR – the putter that holed the putts.

Spieth’s SC-009 prototype putter is the model he has used since he was 15 years old because Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy used the same model.

l At 18 under par, he tied Tiger Woods' 1997 tournament record. l Spieth is the first player to ever play his first eight rounds at Augusta National at par or better.

Here’s a closer look at what he’s done.

Turns out loyalty pays off.

Tournament Statistics l Three no-three putters

From the 99 man field only Henrik Stenson, Sangmoon Bae and Steve Stricker avoided three putting. l Triple Eagle: Dustin Johnson became

the first player in Masters history to record three eagles in a round (R2, holes 2, 8 and 15). l ZERO – none of the amateurs made

P O U LT E R ’ S I R R E P R E S S I B L E I R O N P L AY

England’s Ian Poulter led the way in Greens in Regulation, hitting a staggering 59 out of the 72 greens for an 81.94%. Spieth and Justin Rose were joint second best with a 75% average (54/72)

the cut at this year’s Masters.

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JUSTIN ROSE

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Rose Justin

Blossoming in Spring THE month of April has seen a turnaround in fortunes for Justin Rose, one of the most popular and personable players in world golf. His second place finish in the Masters, swiftly followed by his spectacular victory in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, has lifted him from 9th to 6th in the World Ranking and to 3rd in The Race to Dubai. Spring has suddenly sprung for the blossoming Rose. With a succession of big events ahead he’s finally found his form and his confidence and he’s looking forward to a Summer spree, adding more Majors to his 2013 US Open title.

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JUSTIN ROSE

J

USTIN ROSE proved conclusively that he has the confidence, experience and the game to compete at the highest level, in winning last month’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans in the style of a world-beater.

He also showed that he has the patience and tenacity to succeed, in taking in his stride nearly 10 hours of suspended play through rain delays at TPC Louisiana.

His birdie-birdie 22-under par finish earned him a one shot victory over Cameron Tringale which lifted the likeable Englishman from ninth to sixth in the World Ranking.

It was also his sixth win in successive seasons on the US PGA Tour and his seventh overall, with a run of 66 bogey-free holes and a 60-under par total since first playing the tournament in 2012, finishing in the top 15 in each of the four years.

“I feel as though I’m getting better each year and I’m definitely more experienced,” said Rose, “and I know that experience plays a huge part in being able to capitalise on my best golf. Coming after my second place finish at the Masters this win was just what I needed.

“I had a huge amount of confidence in my performance at the Masters. I looked at the 14-under par score that I shot

around Augusta and knew that it would have been good enough to win most years. But I was beaten by a phenomenal performance from Jordan Spieth. When that happens you have to tip your cap and say, ‘great playing’ to someone who does that.

“I feel as though I’m in my prime right now and I’ve got many opportunities ahead to win many more Majors. I know that I’m playing at a level capable of winning Major championships, and winning the Masters in the future. So that’s the way I’m trying to look at it.

“The most important thing for me at Augusta was how I felt under pressure and how comfortable I was on the Sunday.

IN HIS PRIME

“I really hadn’t come into the year with much form going into the Masters, but I surprised myself by how calm and collected I felt on that final day.

“That was the real takeaway for me from the tournament, and, obviously, that really helped me to have the confidence to put this one away.

“With all the rain that fell during the Zurich Classic the course was soft and wet and presented a real challenge. To finish strongly, as I did, with so many tough competitors focused on winning

“I HAD A HUGE AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE IN MY PERFORMANCE AT THE MASTERS. I LOOKED AT THE 14-UNDER PAR SCORE THAT I SHOT AROUND AUGUSTA AND KNEW THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN MOST YEARS. BUT I WAS BEATEN BY A PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCE FROM JORDAN SPIETH. WHEN THAT HAPPENS YOU HAVE TO TIP YOUR CAP AND SAY, ‘GREAT PLAYING’ TO SOMEONE WHO DOES THAT.” – JUSTIN ROSE

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After finishing runner-up to Jodan Spieth at the Masters last month and pocketing $1.2million for the week Rose went one better two weekes later at the Zurich Classic and topped up his winnings for the year by further $1.24 million. His win also made him one of the most successful European players in the history of the US PGA Tour with seven victories to his name.

the tournament, I was proud of my performance. Walking to the 17th tee I knew I needed to do something positive.

My iron play was good, and that helped me look at the pins and feel like I could be aggressive.

“I knew I needed to make a bit of a run and post a couple of birdies.

I felt that 16 was a really good hole to make birdie. I had a nice 9-iron in there and missed the green to the right but had an easy up anddown.

“That was an opportunity lost, so walking to 17 I knew I needed to be looking at the flag. I was aware that I was three or four holes ahead of some of the other guys in contention, but they also had birdie opportunities ahead of them. I kind of felt like I still needed to make birdies coming in, so my birdie on 17 was crucial.

“Whenever you hole a difficult putt on the 72nd hole or to finish a tournament, those are always the most meaningful putts. My birdie putt at 17 set up the opportunity to win the tournament with a good birdie on 18 and when you go

4

JUSTIN ROSE ahead and slam the door shut by making a nice putt as I did, that’s by far and away the best feeling.

That’s why I roared the ball into the hole.”

With his putter getting hot and his all-round game in good shape, Rose is looking to focus on controlling his ball flight a little more ahead of the final three Majors.

“I’m looking forward to the weeks and months to come. If you look at the venues for the remaining Majors - Chambers Bay, St. Andrews and Whistling Straits - you can almost say that we’ll be playing on links-style golf courses, or golf courses without trees and all potentially windy.

So my plan will be to really focus on my strategy in the wind to get control of my ball flight in an up and down manner. You know, we think about drawing or fading the ball, but I need to start to really focus on the trajectory I’m hitting the ball, and I think that could be very beneficial for the Majors.

TRIED TO ENJOY IT

“I seem to thrive on tough, traditional, golf courses and those where 10under par is a good score.

My aim is to become a player who can win on every type of course.”

At TPC Louisiana, Rose had close on an hour’s wait to see whether he had to go out again for a playoff but the chasing pack couldn’t match his score.

“I don’t get nervous in those waiting situations,” said Rose. “I know I’ve done all that I can do on the course. I guessed that I had more than 45 minutes before I might be teeing it up again in a play-off, so I allowed myself around 10 to 15 minutes to really enjoy it, and think what it might be like to win. I know I can get myself back in the zone if it comes to a play-off.

Fortunately, it didn’t.

“If you’re in the second to last group it’s very easy to let your guard down and enjoy the moment when there might be a play-off ahead. I just tried to enjoy it.

“When I walked off the golf course I was feeling like I’d done enough. The reception I got from the crowd made me feel I’d done enough. It’s hard not to enjoy the moment with the galleries. It’s

hard to stay focused at that point.

“The Zurich Classic is the first tournament I’ve won where my wife, Kate, hasn’t been on site.

But I had a lot of good friends around me. Being an ambassador for Zurich now for five years, I’ve got to know everybody very, very well. They’re one of the classiest companies around. If it’s a birthday or if it’s a significant date on the calendar, I always get emails from the executive board. They stay in touch as friends, and I really value the relationship from that point of view. It’s nice to share the success with them. I also value BA as one of my sponsors.

“I’m pleased with where I am right now with my game. The good thing is I haven’t been chasing myself as I was for almost the first four months of the year. I was chasing a different swing thought every day. But in the last month I’ve had the same thought waking up every day. My swing hasn’t always felt exactly the same, but when you’re not chasing something, it becomes a lot more consistent.

“Now I’m looking forward to a run of big events. Playing both Tours like I do, there are key events to do well in to give yourself a chance and, obviously ,the World Golf Championships events, THE PLAYERS Championship and the DP World Tour Championship are huge. So this last couple of weeks have been a great shot in the arm for my confidence.

I’ve just got to keep the momentum rolling.

“I’m pleased with how things are going. I’m really proud of

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“NOW I’VE GOT TO NUMBER SIX IN THE WORLD RANKING, WITH A HUGE BOOST IN THE FEDEXCUP POINTS, MY PERFORMANCES HAVE GIVEN ME A LIFT IN CONFIDENCE. I CAN TARGET THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE COMING MONTHS WITHOUT HAVING TO CHASE ANYTHING IN BETWEEN. I FEEL IT’S GOING TO BE A GREAT SUMMER.”

ABOVE: Justin Rose, now world No.6, alongside the only two Europeans ahead of him in the ranking, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlory talk to H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum during the opening ceremony of the Jumeirah Golf Estates Clubhouse at last year’s DP World Tour Championship.

achieving seven wins on the US PGA Tour with a win in each of the last six seasons. “Earlier this year it looked impossible for me to win.

I was struggling with my game, and when you’re struggling, sometimes winning seems a long way off. So I’m very happy to have turned my game around over the last three or four weeks.

“Just making a couple of key putts down the stretch can mean all the difference.

“To make the putt exactly when you need to is huge. I don’t think I’ve made a putt to win a US PGA Tour event outright like I did at TPC Louisiana. I made a really good putt at the Quicken Loans tournament to get in the play-off, but that was kind of the first time.

“I’ve always had two putts to win or knocked it close and had tap-ins. That was the first time I’ve holed a significant length putt to win.

“Now I’ve got to number six in the World Ranking, with a huge boost in the FedExCup points, my performances have given me a lift in confidence. I can target the Major championships all the way through the coming months without having to chase anything in between.

“I feel It’s going to be a great Summer.” n

W

E are excited about our title sponsorship of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and it seems we can look forward to having the best field the tournament has had for a long time.

It’s a creditable thing that Rory McIlroy is doing. He’s only a young man and to bring his Foundation into the event is admirable.

There’s a connection between the Rory Foundation and our Dubai Duty Free Foundation, which also helps children via a number of charities.

We liked the fact that Rory’s Foundation would benefit from the tournament and when we looked at what it does for children worldwide it struck a chord with us. We went over there and met Barry Funston, the Chief Executive of the Foundation and Rory’s business manager, Sean O’Flaherty, and they’re all good people.

Dubai Duty Free Foundation More than ten years ago, for our 20thyear anniversary day, Sinead El Sibai, our Vice President – Marketing, suggested that we should give 20 per cent of our sales to charitable causes. Instead, we decided to give all our sales away on that day to various charities in Dubai. That was the beginning of the Dubai Duty Free Foundation. I got the approval from H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Duty Free,to transfer funds into the Foundation and we were up and running.

When I first came to Dubai I was the Manager of the Freeport Shop at Shannon Airport. Along with my colleague George Horan, my deputy who became President of Dubai Duty Free, we were part of the original team of ten from Aer Rianta.

I was told very definitely by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the then Minister for Defence: “I want our Duty Free to be the best duty free in the world.” His Highness wanted everything in Dubai to be the best in the world and he has achieved that goal in so many ways.

I’ve certainly had the best boss in the world in H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum.

He joined in 1985 as Chairman/President 4

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DUBAI DUTY FREE

SUPPORTING THE

GLOBAL GAME COLM McLOUGHLIN is an integral part of the Dubai success story. He came to Dubai in 1983 as part of a team of ten from at Shannon Airport, universally regarded as the founders of the airport global duty free industry, to set up a duty free at Dubai Airport. “I liked the commitment of the people here to make Dubai Duty Free the best in the world,” says Colm, “so I joined on a two-year contract and I’ve been here on the same two-year contract ever since.” In conversation with MIKE GALLEMORE the Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free talks about the journey that has taken Dubai Duty Free to the pinnacle of worldwide success and the synergy that exists between the Rory McIlroy Foundation and the Dubai Duty Free Foundation that led to the title sponsorship of the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open…

4 Worldwide GOLF 39

AT THIS YEAR’S DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC, AFTER RORY HAD BEEN PRESENTED WITH THE OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC TROPHY, I PUT MY HAND ON RORY’S SHOULDER AND SHOOK HIS HAND TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON HIS VICTORY AND SAID THAT HE WAS A GREAT YOUNG MAN AND PARTICULARLY GOOD AT LOOKING AFTER PEOPLE, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT HE KEPT ON DOING THAT SORT OF THING. THE PRESS GOT HOLD OF THE PICTURE AND DREW A SPEECH BUBBLE FROM ME THAT SAID: “YES RORY, WE WILL SUPPORT THE IRISH OPEN.” THAT WAS A BIT OF FUN. – COLM McLOUGHLIN

of the Airport, Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline, and holds various other positions within the Dubai Government. We’ve also got a great team here at Dubai Duty Free.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our staff and place a lot of importance on that.

Dubai Duty Free has followed the success of Dubai itself and, in fact, has followed the success of the airport.

When we first came here in 1984 we had around $20m in sales. Last year we had business of $1.9billion. Three million people passed through the airport in 1984, last year there were 72 million. The traffic over 30 years at Dubai Airport has grown by around 1,900 per cent. The DDF business has grown by 9,000 per cent.

We’ve won around 460 awards globally.

The keyword for us is quality. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed and the Government wanted to raise the standards of everything. It wasn’t about the biggest it was all about the best.

From a golfing perspective I’ve played golf and been involved in golf for most of my life.

When I went to work at Shannon Airport in 1969 I joined Shannon Airport Golf Club and also played at Lahinch, Dromoland Castle, and Ennis in County Clare.

When I came to Dubai the only golf club was the Dubai Country Club. It was a sand course and we had to carry around with us our little piece of astroturf to hit off, if the ball was deemed to be on the ‘fairway.’ When the Emirates Golf Club opened I became a member

there and then at the Creek. I have been Captain at both clubs.

We consciously decided very early on at Dubai Duty Free that sport was a good thing.

There’s a feelgood factor about sport. We had been advised by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed and

by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed that part of our duty was to promote Dubai.

In the tradition that Dubai as an emirate promotes sporting events it’s good that Emirates Airline, Jumeirah Golf Estates, as a European Tour destination, and the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing are also supporting the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

THE SPORTING PLATFORM So we started dabbling in sport. We got involved in sponsoring powerboat racing and tennis and we sponsored ‘the Aviation Cup.’ Tennis was the first big sport for us, 24 years ago. We now have a world-class men’s Tour event and WTA women’s event, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which was won this year by Roger Federer and Simona Halep.

The success of our tennis tournament proved that sport is a good thing for us, not only for promotional reasons but also from an individual benefit. For instance, our tennis referee today was just a boy from Dubai who we gave various jobs to at the tournament in the beginning. We trained him up and now he could referee a Tour event anywhere in the world. Many of the local people have trained as umpires and tennis officials with us. We have

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trained thousands of ball boys and girls. Many more have trained as line judges. We take an inclusive attitude to what we do. The tennis is run by ourselves – we run it in house. A lot of the things we do, we run in house.

From a promotional viewpoint the value that has been put on our tennis tournament is huge – from the information we get, post event, it’s worth around $760 million to Dubai if we had to buy it today. It’s a good way of ‘buying’ the right kind of advertising and publicity.

Sponsorship can produce much better value than straightforward advertising, although it’s difficult to prove what it’s worth. We believe that you can reach a bigger and more diverse audience through sponsorship. Everything we do in regards to sponsorship we assess post event, so that we can evaluate it. It’s part of our in-house strategy.

We do lots of smaller events like basketball plus seven or eight mini golf tournaments, along with the big events like the Dubai Desert Classic, Race to Dubai and the DP World Tour Championship, which we have supported from the very beginning.

We also host the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup for people in the global duty free industry, which has been going for the past 22 years. We started with a field of 14 players. Now we have a waiting list of more than 100 golfers from all around the world. We also have the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Dubai Creek plus various forms of junior golf. We support horseracing meetings at Newbury and at Ascot, and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh, which this

DUBAI DUTY FREE

Dubai Duty Free Foundation Charity Support SINCE the beginning, we have supported something like 68 different charities; provided a sports complex to a school in Haiti that the duty free industry built; helped to rebuild a village in Sri Lanka that was wiped out by the tsunami (one of the cottages is called the Dubai Duty Free cottage, as is the medical centre there); we have funded 4,000 cleft palate operations in the last two years for the Smile Train children’s charity; we are finishing building 32 houses in the Philippines destroyed by the typhoon; we have provided one of only two particular cancer diagnostic machines to a hospital in Jordan; we’re the Middle East sponsor of the Walter Sisulu charity in Africa that looks after children born with holes in their hearts; we have restored 800,000 eyesights through Sightsavers, among many of the things we’ve done through the Dubai Duty Free Foundation under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed.

I’m proud to be the Chairman of the Foundation Board and there are a great many good people involved.

Pictured left to right: Antonia Beggs, Championship Director, Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, European Tour; Barry Funston, Chief Executive, Rory McIlroy Foundation; Sinead El Sibai, Vice-President – Marketing, Dubai Duty Free; Kenneth McCaw, Royal County Down GC; Kathryn Thomson, Tourism Northern Ireland; James Finnigan, Commercial Director, Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, European Tour. year celebrates the 150 th running. We also have our own sports and social club for our staff. We provide volleyball courts and many other things such as cricket, basketball, netball and tennis.

Sport has certainly become an integral part of the company.

Regarding the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, which takes place from May 28-31, we recently met with everyone to do with the event at The European Tour – Nick Tarratt in Dubai, Chief Executive George O’Grady, the Commercial Director James Finnigan and Championship Director Antonia Beggs. We discussed the details and the value of the TV and media coverage, and said ‘OK, let’s try this for one year.’ That’s the situation we’re in. We’ll assess how it goes. We’ve an option in the contract for another two years.

REBIRTH OF THE IRISH OPEN What has now formally been agreed is that the tournament will alternate between a course in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

By sponsoring an event like the Irish Open it lifts the significance of the event considerably.

When we were at County Down at the press announcement recently it felt to me a bit like the rebirth of the tournament, with Dubai Duty Free and the Rory Foundation behind it. Having been without a title sponsor for a number of years I think it’s very good for the event.

The Dubai Duty Free brand is well recognised around the world and we certainly have a global reach. We believe that being involved in golf, is a good thing, particularly with golf being one

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of Ireland’s biggest attractions. The Pro-Am at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open will be quite an occasion. I’ve played in many pro-ams with many great players and we always like to ask to play with an Irish pro if possible. I’ve played with the likes of Eamonn Darcy, Christy O’Connor Jnr, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke and Des Smyth, among others. Des is one of our favourites and he’s Dubai Duty Free’s golf ambassador.

I’ve enjoyed a lot of great times in pro-ams but I never longed to play with anyone else, other than my normal playing partners of friends George Horan and Ara Nakhnikian. No matter what anybody says about golf, there are three big names that stand out, and those are the three gentlemen who currently start the Masters, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

I met Arnold at the Kentucky Derby once and I met Gary in Dubai but I have never met Jack.

I would have liked to have played with Christy O’Connor Snr as he was one of the first big Irish names and the first person to win £25,000 in prize money in an event – back when nobody had ever heard of a million pounds in prize money.

I like the etiquette of golf. I went to the Masters in 2009 but I couldn’t walk very well after a hip operation. Early on the final day I bought a couple of folding chairs and set them down by the 18th green. There were only 10-15 people around the green at the time. We came back later in the afternoon and there were around 2,000 people surrounding the green. To our great surprise, our two chairs were still there and they were empty.

That’s what’s so good about golf. n

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GEAR SECTION Versatile 3 Wood Muscle Tested Cobra Flyz+– Callaway 815 – TaylorMade R15 Getting more bang for your bucks TaylorMade SLDR v R15 Titleist ball fitting Are you playing the right one?

Ping Rhapsody More than just looks for their new ladies set

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GEAR

Callaway 815

The 815 fairway wood has more features than a Swiss Army knife. It is packed with Callaway’s Hyper Speed Face Cup technology to create speed across the face but especially towards the bottom, making it versatile from both the tee and off the fairway. It comes with the OptiFit hosel which gives players 8 adjustment options and comes in lofts starting at 14 degrees with a 43 inch Fujikura Speeder 665 shaft.

The adjustability is enhanced dramatically with the two sole weighting options. With the 30g weight positioned towards the face it lowers the spin and improves distance. With the 3g weight at the front the club it gives a higher launch and more forgiveness.

MATTHEW TURNER TRACKMAN FIGURES

CLUB SPEED MPH

BALL SPEED MPH

117.4 169.7

LAUNCH ANGLE Deg

SPIN RATE RPM

CARRY Yards

TOTAL Yards

SMASH FACTOR

6.1 3955 261.6 281.2 1.45

TESTED

VERSATILE MUSCLE Off the tee and off the deck ... these clubs can save the day

FOR some players a 3-wood can be the safe option off the tee but others also like to hit it off the deck to reel in those long par-5s in two. Like the modern day driver, the 3-wood technology is all about lowering the spin and meeting optimum launch.

This is great for the tee shot where the player is looking for a little more control over the driver but would still like the ball to run out as much as possible to gain those precious yards. But for the player looking to hold the dry greens and approach areas on the par-5s in the Middle East this could pose a problem.

It’s rare we see Tour pros looking to run a ball onto long holes as they prefer to bombard the greens from the air with as much drop and stop as possible.

The modern 3-woods give both the Tour pro and the amateur flexibility, as this is arguably designed to be the most versatile club in the bag. You need to assess how you want the club to work for you on the day. In the past, many Tour players would have a number of drivers and 3-woods available and they would select the right one for the conditions.

If you are warming up on the driving range prior to starting your round and

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your driver is going sideways, you might be best opting for a stronger, lofted 3-wood off the tee. You might only lose 10 yards in some cases but finding the fairway early on is a great confidence booster. If, on the other hand, you are striping your driver and feel confident in taking on the par-5s then it might be worthwhile to alter the loft accordingly to give you the chance to hold the green.

So when you come to selecting your new 3-wood, take into account how versatile it has to be with loft variations.

Through the adjustments, some can play from a 2-wood through to a 4-wood. So

Cobra FlyZ+

TaylorMade R15

TaylorMade launched a first with the new R15, their first sliding weight track on a fairway wood. The 25-gram weight can be positioned closer to the heel for more draw bias and more toward the toe for more fade bias.

TaylorMade engineers claim the weight track acts in a similar way to a Speed Pocket, allowing for the face to flex more for a higher launch, less spin and more ball speed — even on mishits.

The R15 fairway woods have a 4-degree Loft Sleeve like the R15 driver and comes in lofts of 15, 16.5, 19 and 20.5 degrees.

MATTHEW TURNER TRACKMAN FIGURES

CLUB SPEED MPH

BALL SPEED MPH

115.1 165.3

LAUNCH ANGLE Deg

SPIN RATE RPM

CARRY Yards

TOTAL Yards

SMASH FACTOR

9.4 5070 254.1 265.1 1.44

MATTHEW TURNER TRACKMAN FIGURES

The Fly-Z+ has a compact head shape and sits slightly open at address. It’s Cobra’s Front CG Zone Weighting and Crown Zone Weighting that moves the Centre of Gravity of the clubhead lower and forward. This is designed to give players a higher launch, lower spin and faster ball speed.

The Fly-Z+ has a SmartPad and a MyFly hosel to help golfers gap their fairway wood yardages. Loft options in the 3-wood are adjustable from 12-to-15 degrees along with three draw settings.

CLUB SPEED MPH

117.2

BALL SPEED MPH

166.1

LAUNCH ANGLE Deg

7.3

SPIN RATE RPM

in many ways that’s three clubs for the price of one.

In this Golf House test local professional Matthew Turner puts the Callaway 815, Mizuno Fly-Z+ and the R15 3-woods through their paces.

With a swing speed getting top side of 117mph he’s one player who would look to use the 3-wood off both the tee and off the deck.

But battling with spin and having an understanding of how quick the wind can pick up in the UAE Matthew is aware that control is just as vital as distance.

4382 CARRY Yards

254.7 TOTAL Yards

270.9 SMASH FACTOR

1.42

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WWG_Cobra_Fly-Z+_Flip_220x212mm.pdf

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GEAR

Jason Ashley Custom Fit Specialist Golf House

Matthew Turner Dubai based professional

Dispersion

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3w Fly Z + 3w R15 3w 815 Alpha © 2015 TrackMan | MyTrackMan.com

Carry yds Multi Group Report

3w Fly Z + 3w R15 3w 815 Alpha © 2015 TrackMan | MyTrackMan.com

Multi Group Report

Matthew’s feedback Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 The 815 was probably my favourite one of the three.

I felt I got a lot of hang time and a lot less spin. One important thing for me on the course is to be able to launch the ball into a wind without it ballooning and losing control in the flight due to excess spin. I think the 815 would allow me to do that. The head sits well on the deck and I’d be confident to hit this from either the tee or fairway.

Jason Ashley and Matthew Turner share their results and feedback blending data from the Trackman system and off-the-face feel.

Cobra Fly-Z Plus This was a great club and one that’s been used by Rickie Fowler so you know it’s going to perform. It flew a little bit higher than the 815 and I feel if I had to step on one into a wind I would lose control of the flight. We play a lot of courses here in the UAE when wind conditions can suddenly change and it’s essential I can manage the flight when it does. I’m not too sure about the red head on the club. I prefer just the standard black look. Having said that, the numbers show it was pretty good and it gave great feedback off the face. You certainly know when you’ve got hold of one.

TaylorMade R15 The R15 went a little bit higher than the Cobra. Upon impact it makes a slightly different noise which I guess is something I’m not used to. Again it’s not the black-standard head so looking down on it I prefer the look of the Callaway. I appreciate I’ve got a high swing speed and I’m sure the shaft played a huge part in the increased spin rate and with a tour spec shaft this would have changed things. It was easy to set up and in the stock form we tried, I’m sure many amateurs would get good distance and accuracy from the R15.

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Jason’s conclusion: It is quite difficult to get Matt to hit stock-standard clubs. He does swing the club quite fast, generating a lot of clubhead speed, so he is going to get a little bit more spin.

Overall, all of the clubs were pretty good. Obviously, the key for Matt would be getting the right shaft in there, getting a little more weight in the shaft and a lot stronger shaft.

He’s getting 116 mph with the 3-wood which is substantially higher than the US PGA Tour average, so you would really have to play with it to get the optimum number.

I think we got a fair reflection of what’s going on. The numbers exactly match up to what Matt’s feeling, which is quite rare obviously with Matt being a pro and a very good player. Those feelings are translating into an accurate reflection.

GEAR

By Alex Gallemore

More bang for your buck THE belief that the TaylorMade R15 driver is more forgiving than the SLDR, won’t come as a surprise but is it a better performer?

If you take a look in the staff bags, we are starting to see a mix of players opting for the lighter Aeroburner, the SLDR and the current R15. To give you some idea, Dustin Johnson has the Aeroburner in the bag, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia have switched to the R15 but Martin Kaymer and Jamie Donaldson have opted to keep the SLDR in the bag.

So could the SLDR be one of the best bargain drivers on the market at the moment? Put the pair head-to-head on the TrackMan and see what it costs per yard.

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The clubs THE SLDR was all about lofting up, due to the centre of gravity being lower and more forward in the face. This is designed to give faster ball speeds with less spin, even with shots struck low on the clubface.

This club was initially a huge success with the better player and why many Tour players put it in play. Higher swing speeds have a tendency to generate unwanted spin. To reduce spin you normally have to play around with a lower loft setting, shaft torque and weight. What the SLDR managed to do was give this level of player the ability to optimise the launch and drop the spin rate through the head alone.

The technology did, however, backfire as the SLDR struggled with the lower swing speed golfers. As spin keeps the ball in the air, and even by lofting up, the ball struggled to stay airborne. But on the dry fairways of the Middle East the lack of spin meant the ball did roll out slightly further than drivers that produced more spin.

The other niggle with the SLDR was off-centre strikes, regardless of swing speed. Hit the centre and the head still generates one of the best ball speeds on the market and why many Tour players still carry the club. If you hit the ball near the toe or heel then the distance lost compared to a centre strike is dramatic.

The R15 has corrected some of these faults by providing the club golfer with improved consistency across the face. The additional weights on the ‘track’ also give more options when it comes to control and the head generates more spin than the SLDR. Like the SLDR it has a low and forward centre of gravity, along with 75% of the club’s mass towards the face. This makes the ball jump at impact and generate great ball speed. The front track system is even 12mm closer to the face than the SLDR to act like a speed pocket, which is designed to expand the sweet spot and decrease spin.

SLDR PROS A better golfer’s club with mid to high swing speeds will get great results and is an unbelievable bargain without spending a great deal of money on exotic shafts. Great looks and feel, plus easy to set up.

SLDR CONS Not great for golfers with a low clubhead speed.

Even though it’s fast off the face the low spin means you lose valuable carry. We found we lost close to 30 yards with a poor strike over ones that were flushed out of the centre.

The test The SLDR is a driver we’ve always loved to hate. Hit it well and we love it ... hit it bad and we hate it. Due to the characteristics of each club we optimised each one for performance as it was pointless setting them both at the same loft or shaft. The SLDR setting, we knew, as we’ve tinkered around with it for the past 12 months. The loft setting was 11 degrees with a standard Fujikura Speeder 57gram stiff shaft. We even tried everything from Maxtrix Red Tie to Oban White shafts but the Speeder was best suited. The head is a little heavier than the R15 and you can feel this in your hands. If you are a player who needs to feel where the head is during transition from back to downswing you will prefer the SLDR for feel. The R15 has a more confidence-inspiring look at address, which leaves you with that feeling of: “I can’t miss the centre, even if I tried.”

The problem we had with the R15 was spin. In the end we matched it to the very low spinning Oban White shaft which came as a shock considering what we put in the SLDR. The only problem with the Oban is lack of feel where the shaft is kicking. We tried the Oban purple and got more feel and slightly more clubhead speed but increased unwanted spin. The optimum loft was 8.5 degrees, so you can see already just how these two clubs on paper might look close technically but on the course they are completely different.

R15 PROS Very forgiving with unbelievable club head speed gains and tight dispersion. More weight options on the track gave improved ball flight control and like the SLDR it was easy to set up.

R15 CONS The spin rate came as a shock. Even with the Oban White shaft we struggled to get the spin rate much below 2,800rpm.

R15 SLDR

CLUB SPEED MPH

BALL SPEED MPH

LAUNCH ANGLE Deg

SPIN RATE RPM

CARRY Yards

TOTAL Yards

SMASH FACTOR

CLUB SPEED MPH

BALL SPEED MPH

LAUNCH ANGLE Deg

SPIN RATE RPM

CARRY Yards

TOTAL Yards

SMASH FACTOR

108.1 153.8

9.6 2833 276.2 287.7 1.46

105.9 152.8 14.5 2396 269.6 289.2 1.46 The conclusion Yes, the SLDR can match the R15 for straight performance as the Trackman figures showed but having 12 months with the club meant it was fully optimised and we couldn’t get any more out of the club if we tried. The R15 still had more to give, but once we find the right launch and spin rate it will be close to the 300 yard mark. In the end, we’d recommend the SLDR as one of the best value buys on the market as long as you are aware of the pros and cons.

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GEAR

BALL FITTING EXPERIENCE

By STUART TAYLOR, Titleist Brand Manager and PGA Professional, ProSports International

W

e invited Mohamed Suleman from Worldwide Golf to go through a complete ball fitting experience. This really helped Mohamed understand the importance of ball fitting. We also invited Mathew Parker, Teaching Professional at the ETPI at Jumeirah Golf Estates, to conduct the test.

MOHAMED CURRENTLY USES: Titleist Velocity MATHEW CURRENTLY USES: Titleist Pro V1x From the testing method to the product, showing Mohamed, a 17 handicapper, and Matt, a pro, the different features and benefits of the whole Titleist ball range made them come away with a great understanding of which golf ball best suits their game.

Working from the short game back to the tee is very important for golfers of all levels. The chart on the right proves shows why this is the case.

Whether you shoot 70, 85, or 100, you’re only ever going to hit 14 drives in a round. You’ll hit double that amount of shots around the green if you shoot 70 and more than four times that number if you card 100. That’s why we go from green to tee when we’re fitting somebody for the right golf ball – most scoring opportunities are created by shots to the green.

STUART TAYLOR WATCHES AS MATHEW PARKER AND MOHAMED SULEMAN GO THROUGH THE ULTIMATE BALL FITTING EXPERIENCE

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1. Titleist Pro V1

2. Titleist Pro V1 x

Mohamed Suleman Compared to the Pro V1 x, I found that the Pro V1 spun less for me. It came out off the face really well and I felt I could control my trajectory really nicely.

Mathew Parker I found that it comes off a bit slower and had a bit of a softer feel. It didn’t really react the way I was expecting it to. I’m all for the Pro V1 x. I think it suits me right down to the tee – the matchup in their between the launch and the tee and the spin was great.

Mohamed Suleman I must say I was excited to use the famous Pro V1 x vand it didn’t disappoint! I found it spun quite a lot more than the other balls and the ball flight was really good as well – it came out at just the right height.

Mathew Parker Absolutely love it. I’ve been using it for a long time and I think it really does fit a lot people really well. It comes out with a really good trajectory – it’s not high, it’s not low – and the control around the green is just great.

2

3. Titleist NXT Tour S

1

Mohamed Suleman I really liked this ball. I felt I could control it really well around the greens. It held on the putting surface just the way I wanted it to and I also felt I could control my distance really nicely. I feel this is the ball for me.

3

Mathew Parker It’s slightly more spinny than the normal NXT but defiantly a ball that will give you a lot of performance around the green.

4. Titleist NXT Tour Mohamed Suleman I enjoyed playing this ball as well. It was a little on the hard side but I especially liked the flight I could get with my higher lofted clubs. It spun nicely as well.

Mathew Parker Not quite enough in there for me. Mixed personality between a softer more spinning ball and a hard, faster ball. It didn’t sit too well for me and I didn’t get the performance I was hoping to get.

5. Titleist Velocity Mohamed Suleman I felt the Velocity came off the face a bit faster than the DT Solo and a bit higher as well. Surprisingly I found it spun a little bit more than I expected.

Mathew Parker Faster and a little bit more spin than expected. Definitely something I’d be excited to hit with the driver.

4

5

6. Titleist DT Solo Mohamed Suleman This ball came off really nicely from the face although it was a little soft. It didn’t spin as much as I was hoping it would but the ball flight was great and overall this was a solid ball.

6

Mathew Parker I felt this was a really soft ball. It looks like its got a hard cover but it comes out really soft. Good around the greens but definitely something for the people who are looking to keep the ball in the air a bit longer.

← Worldwide GOLF 51

GEAR

WATCH HOW THE BALL FITTING UNFOLDED Subscribe to Youtube.com/WorldwideGolf Like us on Facebook.com/WorldwideGolf

CONCLUSION ▶Mohamed Suleman: Before today’s ball fitting, I was playing the Titleist Velocity for one simple reason: distance. As a higher handicapper I have an insatiable hunger for more yardage. After all, wouldn’t playing a longer ball shorten the golf course for me?

What the ball fitting experience taught me was if I can play a ball that will give me much more control around the greens at the expense of a little bit more distance off the tee, I will give my handicap every chance of going south instead of north. The kind of control I got around the green with the NXT Tour S really excited me.

After the ball fitting experience, I’ve come away with a fantastic understanding of what different golf balls can do for my game.

Mohamed would now use: Titleist NXT Tour S

▶Stuart Taylor: Across all ball models, there is less than four yards of difference in distance at a single swing speed. In golf, there are many different shots we have to play meaning that we have different swing speeds throughout the 18 holes, so matching a ball to your swing speed by compression isn’t the way to lower scores. However a major influence on FEEL comes from the cover type, thickness and core properties of a golf ball.

Going through a Titleist ball fitting helped Mohamed and Mathew understand the difference in performance of each golf ball in the family. Pro V1 and Pro V1 x are the best performing balls for all levels of golfer, however for the more price conscious player, we have options in our family that meet the needs of all golfers.

From the fitting process Mohamed and Mathew both found that Pro V1 x really suited their game. However, taking all factors, including price, into consideration, Mohamed felt if he was to buy golf balls from the shop now, he would go for the NXT Tour S.

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▶Mathew Parker: I think it’s important that people take advantage of the services they can get where they can try all the different kinds of balls. There are a lot of people out there who are probably playing a ball and not really knowing that they could be playing something they prefer to play and that it all comes down to personal preference.

I’m happy to know that I can stay with the Pro V1 x, it’s just a superb golf ball. It was really nice to try all the different balls and see how they perform for me.

I’d really recommend people to explore their options and go through the ball fitting experience to see which golf ball works best for their game.

Mathew would stay with: Titleist Pro V1x

GEAR

Sam Taylor ProSports International.

It’s great to see Alexa enjoying the new clubs we’ve fitted her for. There have been a bunch of changes that PING have made to this collection that make them such a great option for lady golfers.

IRONS

A

RHAPSODY

LEXA Rochelle, a member at Jumeirah Golf Estates, recently became the first lady golfer in the UAE to order a set of ladies PING Rhapsody clubs. She was custom fitted by Sam Taylor and Brendan O’Leary of ProSports International, the official distributors of PING products in the Middle East. Alexa told us all about her new shiny set of clubs and what impact it’s had on her game.

“This was my first set of full clubs and because this was a big investment for me, I wanted to make sure I had the right education and experience when getting fitted.

“I got in touch with PING and they really talked me through the benefits of getting custom fitted. One thing that I found was my old clubs were quite short and because of that I was not hitting the ball off the middle. When I was getting fitted the guys ensured I had a little bit of extra length on my clubs and that has really eliminated my off-centre strikes.”

HAS THE SWITCH BETTERED YOUR GAME? The switch to these clubs has massively benefited my game. It’s the first time I’m using irons so I found that I’ve got more distance and control in my shots and I really have the luxury of choosing what clubs to use for different situations around the course.

I used to have only hybrids in my bag but now that I’ve got these clubs I’ve found the transition to irons really smooth. I was told it wasn’t going to be easy to switch from hybrids to irons but the new PING Rhapsody’s have made it a really easy transition.

HYBRIDS Across a round, I use my hybrids a lot.

I found that the PING Rhapsody hybrids are much better than my old ones and

I think it comes down to the overall makeup of the club as well as the fact that I was custom fitted for them. The clubs feel a lot lighter than normal hybrids and having them custom-fitted has just given that extra bit of ease when playing with them. I know that they’re designed for me and they’re going to make me play my best.

FAIRWAY WOODS AND DRIVERS I’ve found my fairway woods are surprisingly easy to hit and they’ve definitely been very handy on those par fives.

Hitting driver has just become such an effortless thing for me now.

I generate so much power with the construction and the turbulators on the top – it’s just amazing. The distance I’ve added with my driver is just phenomenal.

LOOK They’re an amazing set of clubs and visually, they’re stunning. The new PING ladie’s logo is a great addition and you definitely get noticed when you’re on the course with them!”

WATCH ALEXA TRY OUT HER NEW CLUBS Subscribe to Youtube.com/WorldwideGolf Like us on Facebook.com/WorldwideGolf

Worldwide GOLF 54

It’s interesting that she says the irons are very easy to hit. A large part of that is because of the lightweight construction that is new to these clubs.

PING have made the overall weight of the clubs lighter so it’s really a comfortable experience playing with them. They’ve actually taken ten grams off the weight of the shaft so you’ll find that you can get the ball in the air quicker and you’ll have a longer ball flight.

They’ve also got a very deep cavity at the back so the centre of gravity is very low down meaning you can get the ball up in the air quicker.

FAIRWAY WOODS Moving on to the fairway woods and we see that one of the things that PING have changed is they’ve moved the centre of gravity of the club. They’ve brought it further back of the club and more towards the heel. This allows it to straighten up the face at impact, eradicating that left-to-right movement.

DRIVERS We were pleasantly surprised to see that the driver was the club Alexa was hitting the best. The turbulators are there to increase swing-speed and you can even play around with the loft of the club with the five different loft options.

LOOK PING have moved into having a white-headed driver as well as a snazzy new logo so we’re not surprised to hear Alexa say that she’s been turning heads with her new set of clubs!

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AROUND THE GREEN 56° - 60° A 24° sidewall and tighter radius help compress the ball to maximise spin on short shots. ©2015 PING P.O. BOX 82000 PHOENIX, AZ 85071

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GEAR

NBA STAR RAY ALLEN SMOKED A DRIVE 329 YARDS WITH THE TITLEIST 915 DRIVER

CELEBRITIES GET FIESTY IN TITLEIST LONG DRIVE COMP

T

HE celebrity Ryder Cup-style Icons Cup got underway at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club with a fun long drive contest hosted by Prosports International, the Middle East distributor for Titleist.

The event was a great showcase for the formidable 915 driver that (most of) the contestants used as there were some monstrous hits delivered amidst a non-stop stream of banter. Even team captains Darren Clarke and Freddie ‘Boom Boom’ Couples got involved in the action.

England rugby star Mike Tindall, looking slightly the worse for wear after enjoying a good night out the previous evening, blew away the cobwebs with a huge drive of 308 yards before immediately asking to be fitted with a 915 for that day’s Pro-Am. Other notable blows from the Rest of the World team came from former Manchester United footballer Paul Ince at 310 yards, former AC Milan and Chelsea

player Andriy Shevchenko at 308 yards while on the USA side ice hockey star Mike Modano hit 319 yards and baseball star Ken Griffrey JR smashed it 328 yards.

Rest of the World Captain Clarke hit it 314 yards while his USA counterpart Couples, nine years Clarke’s senior hit it 310 yards.

But it was towering American Miami Heat basketball star Ray Allen who whacked the leading drive for the USA team.

“The 915 driver felt pretty good, it flew sliced through the air pretty well,” said Allen. “It felt like the ball exploded off the face. I definitely hit it pretty well!”

The Americans also won the overall title with an average distance of 298 yards compared to the ROW team’s 288 yards.

As an interesting sub plot, the person who actually made the biggest drive of the day was Paul Ince’s teenage son Daniel who hit a 330 yard whopper which sadly couldn’t be counted as he wasn’t officially in the contest!

Worldwide GOLF 56

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Worldwide GOLF 57

INSTRUCTION

DRAW IT RIGHT

I

T SEEMS that just about every right-handed golfer wants to hit shots that move right to left, otherwise known as a “draw.”

Mastering it will make you the envy of your playing partners, as it’s the most elusive ball flight pattern for most golfers to achieve.

In this article, I want to show you a few things that will help you understand how this right-to-left pattern is created through the actions of the clubface and club path at impact.

Here we have a typical scenario. A pulled tee shot on the 18th at Al Hamra Golf Club has left me 250 yards to the green and an over-hanging branch blocking my second shot. The ideal play would be a shot where we can move around the tree and get a good distance up the fairway.

CLUBFACE TARGET LINE

SWING PATH

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For the ideal shot, we want to get the swing path moving from inside to outside, and the clubface to be pointing somewhere between the target line and the swing path. Since the face controls the ball’s initial starting direction, it has to be right of the target line or the ball would not begin to the right.

The shot will then start out to the right and curve back to the target. In a true draw, you impact the ball with an open clubface, not a closed one.

ROSS McARTHUR

PGA Teaching Professional, AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB

One common mistake I see with amateurs who try to hit a draw is that they “over-close” the face at impact, which increases the face-to-path difference and causes the ball to curve too much. This will cause a hook that more often than not will finish well left of the target. In the example on the left, you will see that although the in-to-out path has not changed, the clubface is pointing left of the target through and post impact where the hands appear to have “flipped” the club. This shot will start too straight and curve away to the left of target, which is not a controlled draw.

This “straight” draw is misunderstood by many golfers, as they think they can get the ball to start more to the right of the target by swinging with more of an in-to-out path. Doing so with the same clubface alignment, however, will only cause the ball to start at the target and hook even farther to the left due to the increased faceto-path difference.

Remember, in order to hit a push draw, golfers need an in-to-out path and a face angle at impact that is pointing left of the path at impact, yet still to the right of the target. That allows the ball to fly correctly before curving, finishing on line with the intended target. Remember to address the ball aligning where you wish the ball to start. It may also be beneficial when trying to hit the draw shot to place the ball slightly further back in your stance than normal. From here, concentrate on making a swing that is inside to out and focus on keeping the club out in front of your body post impact.

A good drill to work on your ball’s curvature is to place an alignment stick into the ground in-line with your target and try to hit balls that curve around it from right to left. This will help you move your path to the right with a clubface that is closed to the path, yet open to the target.

BALL-FLIGHT

SWING PATH

TARGET LINE

WATCH ROSS SHOW YOU HOW IT’S DONE! Subscribe to youtube.com/WorldwideGolf like us on Facebook.com/WorldwideGolf

CLUB FACE

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INSTRUCTION

LISTEN FOR THE STRIKE I

HEAR the phrase, ‘Keep your head down’ far too often. But believe it or not, that’s not always the best advice to follow. The reason is that it stops the body from turning through. What we do want is to have our eyes on the ball when the club makes contact with it. Another comment I hear too often when it comes to chipping is, ‘I hit it too hard.’ Most of the time, the strike is wrong and the ball is being hit too high up near the equator of the ball, resulting in a ‘thin shot’ which will go too low and too far. So when chipping, try to listen for the correct strike before finishing the swing.

Position the ball slightly back of centre with your weight favouring the left side and your hands slightly ahead of the ball. The triangle formed above is important as it should remain constant during the swing.

The backswing still has the triangle shape along with a very slight wrist hinge but most of the movement is caused by a turning of the shoulders. Note that your weight is still favouring the left side.

Worldwide GOLF 60

TIM BACKHOUSE

Teaching Professional, ETPI, Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Finally, the finish.

Almost all of my weight is on my left side, the triangle is still clear to see, and the loft of the club is maintained due to firm wrists resulting in a high ball flight and a soft landing chip.

On impact, my eyes are on the ball. The club slides through the grass, the left wrist is firm through impact, and again my weight is still tilted on the left-side. Along with maintaining the triangle, as you swing through the shot listen for the club to strike the grass. It is a very different noise to the sound of the club striking the ball directly.

LISTEN TO WHAT A GOOD CHIP SOUNDS LIKE www.bitly.com/ChipNoise

WATCH TIM SHOW YOU HOW IT’S DONE! Subscribe to youtube.com/WorldwideGolf like us on facebook.com/WorldwideGolf

Worldwide GOLF 61

INSTRUCTION

Punch it Down!

O

ver the years there has been much discussion on how to start the downswing.

A simple tip for golfers of all levels is to be aware of how their shoulders work during this important phase of the swing.

What we want to prevent is the trail shoulder coming out and around (external rotation) towards the ball or target as we initiate the downswing.

This simple drill will help promote the correct feeling and shoulder motion required to initiate and develop a consistent downswing pattern.

STEPHEN DEANE

Head Professional Emirates Golf Club

DRILL PHASE 1

Start with a split hand grip with the club shaft matching your feet and shoulder line. While in this position, feel as though both shoulders are locked in and are sitting back and down.

Eat, Drink and Play After Dark on the Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club Worldwide GOLF 62

DRILL PHASE 2

Set the club half way back by letting the hands work up, letting the trail elbow fold. This movement starts from the ground up and it is important you feel your feet hold and interact with the surface as much as possible.

DRILL PHASE 3 1.

2.

3.

4.

Solidly fire or punch the trail shoulder, hands and arms down returning and matching the shaft on line to its original starting position.

You will sense that the trail shoulder works down rather than out and around. During this movement you will start to develop the punching down sensation as your body naturally rotates and unwinds left into impact.

You will sense your weight being pushed into the ground and the springing up of your lead shoulder and hip as the club drops into impact.

This down force and pressure on the ball will dramatically improve your ball striking and distance. You will feel more centred and grounded as you approach your shots. The clubhead will also return with limited rotation or required manipulation, improving the consistency of your shots’ starting direction.

GOOD IMPACT PHASE

WATCH STEPHEN SHOW YOU HOW IT’S DONE! Subscribe to youtube.com/WorldwideGolf like us on facebook.com/WorldwideGolf

For more information on how to develop this further and build solid mechanics please watch the attached video link and get in contact with Head Professional Stephen Deane at sdeane@dubaigolf.com.

POOR IMPACT PHASE

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AVA I L A B L E I N G O L F S H O P S A C R O S S T H E G C C A N D E G Y P T

Worldwide GOLF Columnist

Greg Norman

The Wave Makes History

I’m proud to learn that Almouj Golf, The Wave, has been chosen to host the season-ending National Bank of Oman Golf Classic Grand Final.

I

’VE always said that the course we created at Almouj Golf, The Wave, Muscat, Oman, is among the best I have ever designed worldwide. I’m proud to learn that it has been chosen to host the season-ending National Bank of Oman Golf Classic Grand Final of the European Challenge Tour in November – and I’m even more excited to learn that the Grand Final will remain in Oman until at least 2018.

It was gratifying for us that the National Bank of Oman had successfully hosted the penultimate event of the Challenge Tour season for the past two years at Almouj Golf, The Wave, but now its significance has increased to a whole new level as our course hosts the biggest tournament of the Tour’s season for the next four years.

Oman created history on Europe’s top development Tour when in 2013 it became the first country in the GCC to stage a Challenge Tour event, the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic.

The overwhelming success of the tournament earned the Sultanate a fitting selection to host the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

Over the last two years we have heard the praise and accolades the course received from the players and organisers of the event, with many Challenge Tour players saying it was “the best course we have played on our Tour.”

At the Grand Final, the leading 45 players on the Challenge Tour will battle for the top 15 places in the newly-coined “Road to Oman Rankings,” and will be rewarded with graduation to The European Tour for the 2016 season.

The Road to Oman will ultimately consist of 25 tournaments in 19 different countries and will have an additional bonus pool for those players who finish the season in the top three.

I’m also pleased that the National Bank

of Oman is holding a championship event to run parallel to the Grand Final at Almouj Golf, the Wave, for the rapidly growing number of Omani amateurs, particularly the juniors.

It had been a feature of the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic over the previous two years to provide the opportunity for Omani and Arab Nationals to take part in their tournament.

The growth of golf in the Sultanate of Oman, which previously had no tradition of golf, is both exciting and staggering and the National Bank of Oman can take much of the credit for encouraging Omanis to take up the game.

The growth of golf in the Sultanate of Oman, which previously had no tradition of golf, is both exciting and staggering and the National Bank of Oman can take much of the credit for encouraging Omanis to take up the game Greg Norman Golf Course Design Since its inception in 1987, Greg Norman Golf Course Design has been one of my true passions in both business and life.

My experience playing many of the world’s great golf courses over a 25-year career served as a catalyst to develop this interest in golf course design.

Over the years, I have been influenced by many different classical and modern architects, but I particularly identify with the old masters, A.W. Tillinghast and Alister MacKenzie. After all, my favourite courses include Royal Melbourne, Augusta National, St. Andrews, Winged

Worldwide GOLF 65

Foot, Shinnecock and Cypress Point.

My design philosophy is grounded in a “least disturbance approach” that blends golf courses with their surrounding environment to enhance the properties’ natural features.

This is something both Tillinghast and MacKenzie achieved, not only because they lacked the tools or resources to move a large volume of earth, but because they chose to work with the topography of the land. Given the fact that they both worked with the land, essentially their philosophy was unique to each course they designed, which is a premise I adopted into my own philosophy.

As a result of this, GNGCD has been an industry leader in promoting sustainability and the compatibility of golf courses with the local environment, with many of our projects having been awarded the coveted ‘Audubon Society Award’ for environmental stewardship.

My design team and I have opened more than 90 golf courses spanning the globe across six continents, and each project presents me with the opportunity to create a course with its own unique character.

Due to the fact that each design bears my name, I personally make it my mission to get involved with every step of the design process, from walking the virgin site, to planning and construction, to opening day.

Through my globetrotting background, we have been fortunate enough to make inroads into non-traditional golf areas such as Jordan, Panama, Croatia and Oman.

We are particularly proud to have brought championship golf to Oman, where Almouj Golf, The Wave in Muscat is truly one of the world’s great undiscovered seaside courses. We look forward to expanding the GNGCD footprint in the Middle East and beyond and continuing to grow the game in ways never thought possible. n

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Worldwide GOLF Columnist

Gary Player

Cut the ball to foil the big hitters Golf courses are following the lead of the biggest organisations and lengthening their holes to keep up with the distance the ball goes – something has got to give.

T

HERE are rumours circulating that Augusta National officials have bought additional land with the intention of lengthening some of the holes in the future, potentially pushing one hole over 600 yards. At the moment this is nothing more than hearsay, but it brings up an issue that will come to the fore again when The Open is played at St Andrews this summer – the issue of length and how far the golf ball travels.

While I find this quite exciting, I also find it quite sad because a lot of places in the world follow what Augusta does. Something has to be done to halt this terrible trend where golf courses are being made longer and longer. The expense that comes with longer courses, from fertilizer – which doesn’t do the ground any good in the long term – to costly machinery, extra man hours and, most importantly, water usage, is catastrophic.

The water situation in the world is becoming chronic, particularly in places like the Middle East. It’s only a matter of time before the municipalities will come along and say, ‘You’re using 800,000 gallons of water on your golf course. From next year on, you’re only allowed to use 400,000.’ We can’t keep going the way we are at the moment.

Now, the Augusta membership is a powerful group, and it would be a wonderful start to a new era if these Augusta tournament officials would approach the golf ball companies and say, ‘Instead of us making the course longer and longer as time goes on, could you cut the distance of the balls by 50 yards – just for the pros for this Masters tournament?’ The result would phenomenal.

The cost of changing the mold of a golf ball is insignificant compared to the architectural and construction costs of changing golf courses all over the world to

keep up with this craving for extra distance.

It would be a great trend if Augusta would say, ‘It’s up to you to stop manufacturing balls that travel so far.’

Augusta is losing its teeth. People might argue that we’ve got to allow for the fact that golfers are much stronger nowadays. Well, I would argue the case that today’s golfers are definitely not stronger than those when I played. No way. Are you going to tell me they’re stronger today than Nicklaus?

Palmer? Snead?

Those guys were stronger than anybody

The Augusta membership is a powerful group, and it would be a wonderful start to a new era if these Augusta tournament officials would approach the golf ball companies and say, ‘Instead of us making the course longer and longer as time goes on, could you cut the distance of the balls by 50 yards – just for the pros for this Masters tournament?’ The result would phenomenal. playing on Tour today. So it’s got nothing to do with strength – it’s got everything to do with equipment. Of course, it’s important to state that the equipment companies are vital for the game. They are a key aspect to helping the game grow at the amateur level.

However, at the top level there is a problem with the ball going too far and it’s having a trickle-down effect around the world.

Our leaders in golf are not using their vision. They are sometimes inclined to act like ostriches with their heads in the sand

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and say that everything is OK. But when The Open Championship comes to St Andrews in July, on a calm day, there are players in the field who can drive at least six greens on the par-4s. Just look at Bubba Watson.

He hit a driver and then a 9-iron over the green at the 15th at Augusta. With that in mind, I must ask: Where is the game going? Wait until the players are built like LeBron James and can drive it 450 yards.

That day is closer than you think. I watched the two-time World Long Drive champion Jamie Sadlowski at one of our Gary Player Invitationals hit 10 drives over 400 yards.

That means he can drive through the green off the first tee at St Andrews. That’s crazy! If the R&A were to invite Sadlowski to hit a few drives off the first tee and show the world that he can make the green, it would wake the world up. The state of the game is far from fine. Golf really is in trouble.

At first glance, professional golf may look as though it’s never been so healthy. There is first prize money of more than $1 million around the world every week. This will inspire young giants, instead of going into football or basketball, to go into golf.

Golf takes less out of you and guarantees more longevity. Your average professional footballer retires at around 35 years of age.

Your average professional Tour player is only reaching his peak at the age of 35. He can play on at the highest level into his late 40s and then look forward to a career in senior golf into his 50s and 60s.

In other sports, you have to retire because you’re physically unable to compete at the top level. Your career probably lasts around 15-17 years. In golf your career can stretch 40 years.

There’s a tsunami coming at us, and we’ve really got to pay attention if our beloved game is to thrive and prosper into the future! n

Worldwide GOLF Columnist

David Howell

Spieth thinking like a Champion What’s most interesting to me is that it’s all the things you don’t see that make Jordan Spieth the hottest player in the world of golf today

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IRST, second, second, first! How’s that for five weeks worth of ultraconsistent golf? Oh, and don’t forget to throw in a Green Jacket, and for good measure, a rise to second place in the World Golf Rankings. Jordan Spieth… I salute you.

There have been some amazing feats over the years, be it Tiger Woods with his four Majors in a row, Byron Nelson winning 11 straight tournaments, Colin Montgomerie winning eight successive Orders of Merit, Vijay Singh winning 10 times in a year in his forties, but I can’t recall a stretch of golf over the course of four weeks at the highest level to match the Masters champion’s recent endeavours. At the very least it has to go down as one of the most outstanding stretches of golf in modern history.

What’s more, the man from Texas is a mere 21 years old. He’s the second youngest winner of the Masters, which is just about the only record he didn’t actually beat at Augusta on his way to fulfilling his ‘lifelong dream.’ Did I just say ‘lifelong’? He’s only 21.

Many Tour players have had slumps that lasted longer than Spieth’s entire career.

One thing is for certain, he needs to come up with some new ‘lifelong’ goals, and fast.

I have the privilege of writing this column in Worldwide Golf for a few reasons. I guess, hopefully, one of them is that being a current Tour player I have some inside knowledge on what’s going on, who’s hot and who’s not.

However, when it comes to Jordan Spieth I have to admit I’m no expert. I’ve never had the pleasure of playing with him, I’ve never even met him and frankly, I’ve probably watched less of him in action on TV than your average armchair golf fan. So my views are formed in just the same way that yours might be, but here’s how I see it: I see a young guy with a burning desire to do great things in the world of golf. He thinks big and believes that anything is possible.

With his ability, he’s entitled to. Outwardly, he looks like he could be the 100th best player in the world rather than the 2nd best.

Don’t take that as a negative observation, however. I’m merely saying that he doesn’t appear to be blessed with a natural talent to swing the club with grace and poise like Rory or Adam Scott, and he doesn’t have the raw power of a young Tiger Woods.

If you saw him putt from short range for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps he has had some putting issues in his short time as a competitive golfer, due to his unique style of looking at the hole rather than the ball.

What’s most interesting to me is that it’s all the things you don’t see that make Jordan Spieth the hottest player in the world of golf today. His swing repeats time after

I was on Tour at the age of 20 and realised that if I wanted to be any good I needed to change a load of things in my game to get better. Tiger won the Masters at 21 years of age and decided he needed to change his swing.I get the distinct impression that Jordan Spieth won’t be feeling the need to do any of those things. time. He gives the impression of someone who can just do it, without working tirelessly on his swing to constantly improve it, as so many players starting out on Tour feel they need to do. Already he has worked out how he swings the club, what he has to do to play well and he’s figured out a putting style that works for him.

I was on Tour at the age of 20 and realised that if I wanted to be any good, I needed to change a load of things in my game to get better. Tiger won the Masters at 21 years of age and decided he needed to change his swing. I get the distinct impression that Jordan won’t be feeling the need to do any of

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those things. I expect he’ll work with what he has already got and make the most of it.

What’s most impressive to me is his ability to learn quickly from any mistakes he may have already made in his short but hugely successful career, and to use his strengths to his advantage.

Your average 21 year old doesn’t think in the same way as Jordan Spieth. They don’t play in such a fearless manner. Normally, the occasion of trying to win a Major, for instance, has a bigger impact on their play. Spieth has the knack of thinking like a champion. He appears to me to be able to think like Jack Nicklaus, and that’s the biggest compliment of all.

Moving closer to home it’s great to see the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open going from strength to strength. There’s no doubt that this year’s tournament at Royal County Down will boast the event’s strongest-ever line-up, with huge crowds following many of the world’s best players on one of the world’s finest links courses. As they say in Ireland, it should be great craic.

Following on from The BMW PGA at Wentworth, The European Tour’s flagship event, it should prove to be a brilliant two weeks of golf. Hot on their heels comes the Scandinavian Masters in Malmo, another event attended by many thousands of golf fans.

George O’Grady our CEO is due to hand over the reins to his newly-appointed successor, Keith Pelley. He does so at a time when things are in great shape. You could rightly say he’s bowing out at the top. I say, well done George, thanks for all you have done in your time at The European Tour, and, as they say in showbiz, now it’s over to you Keith. n IN THE last two European Tour events of April DAVID HOWELL finished tied for fourth in the Shenzen International at Genzon GC and followed up with a runnerup spot in the Volvo China Open and is now in 10 th plcae in The Race to Dubai.

Worldwide GOLF Columnist

Pete Cowen

The game has changed Distance is the holy grail for today’s golfer. The days of questioning a professional for practising ‘too much’ are long gone.

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t’s been another interesting month in the world of golf. I’ve just taken on another good youngster in the form of Tommy Fleetwood. I know I said recently that I wasn’t looking to add to my roster but when somebody is as good as Tommy is and shows that much potential it’s easy to help them along the way.

In addition, my colleague Mike Walker is coaching Peter Uihlein so we’ve taken on a couple of promising youngsters. Fleetwood’s short game can improve and his ball flight and distance control isn’t great but it’ll all improve as we go along. Everything else is alright – just a little bit of work needs doing.

Looking back at Augusta it was a bad week for Henrik Stenson because he was so ill. He had flu the week before and he arrived at the Masters like a wet rag. It was hopeless. We thought about telling him to withdraw because it was that bad on the Wednesday of tournament week. He only played 12 holes of practice in total.

It didn’t surprise me to see Jordan Spieth win in such a convincing manner. He’s being playing well and you’ve got to remember that he’s never seen Augusta play that difficult. Last year he finished second and was leading with about 9 or 10 holes to go.

He just sees a very scoreable course out there, whereas, many players look at it and think it’s impossible to score on.

I chatted to Tiger Woods’ coach Chris Como while I was there and he said they were getting there, slowly. It didn’t surprise me that he made the cut. They’re pretty confident about Tiger’s progress.

Everything in his game seems OK apart from his driving. It’s a pattern that he’s had for a very long time. His height drops in his swing and it leads to problems and the longer the club in his hand, the worse the damage can be. But if anybody can get it right he can. I hope he does and I hope he’s

back competing with the likes of Spieth, McIlroy, Adam Scott and Stenson because if and when we get all of those players firing it’ll be great for the game.

I’ve been working closely with Padraig Harrington recently and if you could give him 20 yards extra on his drive he’d sacrifice an awful lot to get it. Distance is the holy grail. Accuracy is not that important. If you look at the players who are accurate off the tee, they’re not the big money earners. Big hitting makes the game so much easier.

The advantage that they have on places like

Dustin Johnson is a prime example of how the game of golf has changed massively from a sedentary occupation with pros who rarely focused on the importance of fitness to today’s pros who are real athletes.

Augusta is unbelievable. Dustin Johnson hit driver and 6-iron up the 8th. If I hit those two clubs up there I’d still be 150 yards short of the green. Johnson is a prime example of how the game of golf has changed massively from a sedentary occupation with pros who rarely focused on the importance of fitness to today’s pros who are real athletes – and the advancements in equipment has allowed them to do that. It’s too late to start changing the ball to stop it going as far. That particular horse has bolted and it can’t be reversed. Nobody wants to go backwards.

There are currently limits on the ball – it can only go a certain speed through the air - but the human body can push those limits as far as they’ll go. However, because of this, in the future you’re probably going to see

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some professionals burn themselves out by the age of 35 because of the conditioning that they do to their body in order to hit the ball further and swing faster – the body won’t cope with it past a certain age. They’ll be finished early. It’s progress, I’m afraid.

The days of having a couple of gin and tonics in the bar and looking at someone outside practicing and questioning what they’re doing are long gone. They’re all out there now making the most of any spare hour, either practicing on the range or in the gym trying to get better, fitter, stronger, and trying to hit it further.

Everybody ages differently. Some people age mentally quickly, some people age physically quickly – some people don’t age that much at all. There are some people who are over 100 who can still walk 5 miles a day yet you can find some 50 year olds who struggle to make it to the garden gate.

The human body is amazing. People aging slowly can play golf longer, others play golf less. You can’t do anything about age. People might well compain, ‘These youngsters are taking over!’ – well of course they are, it’s progression. The sprinter who could sprint quickest five years ago is no longer the quickest – someone younger is.

I see the field at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is getting stronger and stronger – that’s good for The Tour and good for Irish golf. It’s difficult to predict what’s going to happen on a links course because so much depends on the weather and dealing with the blind shots on the course. I hate blind shots. Understanding the course will be a huge advantage.

I know Rory and G-Mac have played it many times so they’ll feel good. Harrington and Shane Lowry are heading up there for some practice in the coming weeks, so that will help them. Course knowledge will play a huge part in deciding the winner. n

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ArabianGOLF NEWS FROM THE LEADING CLUBS IN THE REGION

JAERMANN AND STÜBI SUPPORT ELS FOR AUTISM GOLF CHALLENGE

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UXURY golf watchmaker Jaermann & Stübi continued to show their commitment to golf and good causes in the region when they supported the ‘Els for Autism Dubai Challenge’ that took place at The Els Club on April 23.

“We are very happy to support this great event by giving away one of our lovely watches as a hole-in-one prize,” said Oliver Zuegel, Managing Partner of Franck & Prime, who are the exclusive agents of Jaermann & Stübi watches here in the Middle East.

“The name of the watch we are giving away is aptly called Hole in One! We are also gifting a set of cufflinks as a Nearest the Pin prize.”

The Els for Autism Golf Challenge consists of a series of golf events around the world with winners receiving a place at the November Grand Finale in Las Vegas which will feature a twoday extravaganza, including golf and entertainment, hosted by Ernie and Liezl Els. Zuegel said that being involved in charitable causes like Els for Autism is in line with what Jaermann & Stübi stands for as a brand.

“Supporting charities and charitable events is central to our brand philosophy,” he said.“It’s very important for us and we believe in The Ernie Els Foundation. It’s something we’d like to support not just in this event but in the future and in various ways.”

Jaermann & Stübi are set to open their first shop in Dubai in May, close to the Boardwalk restaurant at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

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TURNER TAKING

IT UP A NOTCH When he was only 17, Dubai-based Matt Turner finished as the Low Amateur at the 2009 Omega Dubai Desert Classic. A year later, he went to the United States on a sports scholarship. He turned pro in 2013 and now he’s back in Dubai and creating waves on the region’s golf scene. MOHAMED SULEMAN caught up with Matt at The Address Montgomerie Dubai to talk about life in Dubai, what his experience at the Desert Classic meant to him and what his goals are for the future.

BRING YOU IN THE BAG Driver: Big Bertha Double Diamond Loft: 9o Shaft: Motore Speeder VC 7.2 tour spec X flex 3 Wood: Big Bertha 815 Alpha Loft: 14o Shaft: Motore Speeder VC 8.2 tour spec X flex 2 Iron: Callaway Apex Pro Shaft: Project X 6.5 (original) Irons: Callaway Apex Pro 4-Pw Shaft: Project X 6.5 (original) Wedges: MackDaddy 2 Tour Grind Lofts: 50o, 54o & 60o Shaft: Project X 6.5 (original) Putter: Odyssey White Hot Pro Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft Apparel: Callaway Shoes: Ecco

WORLDWIDE GOLF: You moved back to Dubai two years ago – tell us what you’ve been up to?

MATT TURNER: I came back to play on the MENA Tour. So I started playing events in Dubai and around the area in September 2013 and I sort of used that as a taster for professional golf to see if it was for me and if I wanted to continue doing it. I had some good results. I finished third at the Tour Championship and I think it was at that point that I realised I should give this a go and see where I can get to. Since then I’ve continued to use Dubai as a base. My parents live here and it’s just such a great place to practice. My girlfriend lives out here right now as well so it’s a really comfortable place for me to work. It’s also a really easy place to get to the rest of the world if I need to go travel abroad for tournaments. So in the end it was a simple decision for me to come back.

WWG: Tell us about your early days in Dubai?

MT: I moved here when I was four years old when my dad got a job at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. I went to Jebel Ali Primary in Dubai College.

In 1999 I joined Emirates Golf Club where I was on the Junior Development Programme. I worked my way through from there by playing in a lot of local events. I started playing in Men’s Opens when I was 11 or 12 so it was great experience for me. The EGF had quite a good set-up here with the Order of Merit and they put on a lot of good events for junior and amateur golfers. I was lucky in that respect to have all these good events, good players and good golf courses. It really took me onto the platform where I could turn professional and go to college in the States.

MATT TURNER WAS THE LOW AMATEUR AT THE 2009 OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC, THE SAME YEAR RORY McILROY WON HIS MAIDEN EUROPEAN TOUR TITLE AT THE TOURNAMENT.

MT: I played in the Desert Classic in 2008 and I didn’t make the cut, even though I played okay. I was only 16 at the time so coming into the 2009 event I had some experience to draw on. Looking back, I think because I was a young kid I didn’t really understand what was going on so I could just go out and enjoy it and when you enjoy playing in any event you’re going to end up playing well. I made the cut and it propelled me to new things. I wouldn’t have gone on to the college that I went to to if it hadn’t been for that week. I got to play with Paul McGinley in a practice round and also with Darren Clarke, who went on to win the British Open a couple of years later, so I got some really good positive experience to build on. To this day I still try and remember some of those experiences. There’s no doubt that so far it’s the best thing I’ve done in my career.

WWG: In 2009 you went on a sports scholarship to play golf for Ohio State University. What did that experience do for your career?

MT: It was a pretty full-on experience.

We went to represent the school and we travelled all around America and played in all these great college events. I played with guys like Jordan Spieth and Thomas Pieters. It was a real step-up from what I had been doing in Dubai and I was just trying to keep climbing the ladder. College in the States is the place to be for golf and it was great fun. I think I realise more now what I learnt in college than when I was there at the time.

When I look back now I understand what they were trying to get us to do.

At the time it seemed difficult and intense but I appreciate it a lot more these days.

“THE MORE ENJOYMENT YOU CAN GET OUT OF THE GAME THE MORE RELAXED YOU ARE, THE EASIER IT BECOMES TO GET THE CLUB IN THE RIGHT SPOT”

WWG: As a player, how would you rate Dubai as a golfing destination?

MT: It’s up there with the best. A lot of the guys from The European Tour and the US PGA Tour come here in the winter to practice and barring Florida and some of the other southern States, Dubai is the best place in the world to practice and play golf.

WWG: Tell us what it was like playing at the 2009 Omega Dubai Desert Classic and finishing as the Low Amateur?

WWG: What kind of goals are you setting for yourself going forward?

MT: This year I want to win a professional tournament.

That’s my goal and that’s what I’m concentrating all my practice on. I’m not looking at making cuts or prize money - I want to win a tournament and hopefully the other stuff will come with that. So that’s my goal for this year. Another goal would be to get to the top three of the MENA Tour and try and get some European Tour starts. Next year I’m going to go to Asian Q-School so, hopefully, I can get through that and get on the Asian Tour. That would be a huge step forward for me.

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A L AIN EQUES TR IAN SHO O TING & GOL F C LU B ENDA MAGUIRE SEALS MAIDEN VICTORY ON HOME TRACK AESGC AL Ain Pro Enda Maguire put his local

knowledge to good use as he sealed his first win on UAE soil by defeating Abu Dhabi Professional Josh Taylor in a play-off in the Al Ain PGA Open recently.

Taylor couldn’t match Maguire’s par in the first play-off hole and had to settle for second place after both players completed their round in two under par. Third place was taken by another Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club Professional, Tom Buchanan, who narrowly missed out on securing a spot in the play-off after three-putting the last green.

Left to right: Mark Ruddy Tournament Director, UAE PGA, Winner Enda Maguire, and Al Ain Director of Golf Gavin Chappell.

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A L BADIA GOLF CL UB

REDGERS WINS THE FIRST QUALIFIER ABGC THE first of three qualifiers in the Al Futtaim Honda

Series saw Al Badia Golf Club member Jason Redgers take first place with 39 points.

A card countback was required to separate second and third after both Tom Shelvin and Neil Wagg finished with 38 points. In the end it was Shelvin who managed to secure the runner-up spot thanks to his superior finish.

The top 30 scores over the three qualifiers will win a place in the Al Futtaim Honda Series Final at the end of the year.

ABDULAZIZ KRIDIS CELEBRATES HIS SECOND MAJOR ABDULAZIZ Kridis saw all his hard work on the

ICGC range pay off last month when he won the BMW Intercontinental Golf Championship with a 3-under par net score of 53.

The two-day event attracted more than 100 players from well over 15 different nationalities and Kridis triumphed to win what was his second major title following last year’s Lincon Championship. Dany Naval clinched the honours in Division ‘A’ with a net 60, three strokes clear of Alex Arellano while in Division ‘B’ Corne Delange defeated Young Joo Kim on a countback after both returned a net 55.

Division ‘C’ saw Robert Mariano win with a net 54, six strokes clear of Sonny Acance, while in the Ladies Division Kim Jin Soon shot a 56 to take the title ahead of Korean compatriot Chong Hi Park.

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E MIRATES GOLF F EDER ATIO N NATIONALS IMPRESS AT AL AIN EMIRATES Golf Federation (EGF) hosted

EGF the recent National Monthly Medal

championship alongside a National Par-3 League event at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club with good scores recorded throughout.

Mohamed Al Hajeri won his first National Monthly Medal with a score of 41 Stableford points, one point ahead of Khalil Kashwani with Mahmood Skaik finishing third. Skaik’s gross 77 won the Best Gross on the day while in the Par3 league event Obaid Al Heloo took the spoils with a 4-over par 31, two clear of Reema Al Heloo with Rashid Al Emadi third with a 37.

JUMEIRAH ENGLISH SPEAKING SCHOOL WIN THE DUBAI SCHOOLS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP THE Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)

EGF clinched the EGF’s Dubai Schools League

Championship for 2014-15 with three wins in the fourevent series.

The fourth and final event of the series took place at Arabian Ranches Golf Club with the opening three fixtures taking place at The Track, Meydan.

The JESS team compiled a Stableford tally of 362 over the three nine-hole rounds and the final 18-hole round, which saw them finish ahead of the Jumierah College by 21 points.

The Dubai Schools League started in 2010 with only eight players and two schools. This season it had over 60 different players representing 13 different schools.

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D OHA GOLF CL UB VOLUNTEERS ENJOY THEIR DAY OUT AT DOHA GOLF CLUB DGC THE annual Commercial Bank Qatar

Masters Volunteers Day saw 176 golfers taking part in the annual Texas Scramble, which is held to celebrate the success of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and to give back to the volunteers for ensuring The European Tour event runs smoothly. After all the scores were added up it was the team of Brenda Lockyer, Wayne Hann, Mark Pilling and Phil Wright who emerged on top with a winning total of 58.6.

GREEN AND DUFFAILY BOOK THEIR SEATS TO TURKEY

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JU M E I R A H G O LF E S TAT E S

THE latest stage of the 2015 Turkish Airlines

DGC World Golf Cup saw William Green and

Christine Duffailly finish first in their respective categories with scores of 42 and 41 in the individual Stableford competition to book their place in the Grand Final in Antalya, Turkey in November.

IAN McINERNEY MASTERS THE MONTHLY MUG IAN McInerney scored 38 points to win

KORNESKI AND PARIGI LIGHT UP THE FIRE COURSE KAYLEIGH Korneski and Ornella Parigi

DGC the recent Pretect Monthly Mug by two

JGE turned up the heat on the Fire course as

points over Dong Yoon Kim while Chris Sharkey took third place.

Flight ‘B’ was won by Jacques Du Toit with a tally of 42 points with second place going to Sameer Abdi, three points further back.

In Flight ‘C’ it was Peter Cairns who emerged victorious thanks to his tally of 41 points with Olson Fernandes in second place on 38 points.

The Ladies Division was won by junior golfer Laila Hrindova who carded an impressive total of 43 Stableford points.

they ran away with the JGE International Pairs qualifying event with a superb 44 points last month to seal their spot in the UAE Grand Final at Emirates Golf Club on May 21st.

Three points back in second place were Ryan Perkins and John Szescila after denying Kevin and Mahyra Roy on a countback.

FRANCIS AND MORDEY EASE TO QUALIFIER VICTORY JGE CLARK Francis and

PAUL KELLY CONQUERS THE DOHA OPEN DGC PAUL Kelly carded a gross 74 to win the Doha Golf Open

Championships hosted by the Qatar Golf Association last month. Kelly won on a card countback by virtue of a better score on the back nine to secure the prestigious title ahead of Abdulrahman Al Sharani in second place with Chris Duffy settling for third.

In the net division it was Hisham Al Rashid who took home first prize with a net score of 69, one clear of Mike Pollock, while in Flight ‘B’ Hoi Deok Heo compiled a hefty 46 Stableford points to win by four from Paul Jennings.

In the Ladies Flight it was Hun Ju Kim who scored 42 points to win by a single point from Natalya Townsend with Young Mee Park taking third place. The juniors event was won by Nada Mir and Syed Isman.

Gareth Mordey romped to victory in the World Corporate Golf Challenge over the Fire course with a stunning haul of 69 points for a nine point victory.

The top three teams go through to the UAE Grand Final later this month and completing the list of qualifiers were two teams who both scored 60 points. Clinching second place after a countback were Nadir Mohammadi and Ayaz Afridi with Steve Drake and Rob Duce losing out over the last six holes.

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D U B A I C R E E K G O LF C L U B

DE SOUZA TAKES DUBAI DUTY FREE JUNIOR MEDAL CHAMPIONSHIP SAMUEL De Souza carded a 4-under-

DCGYC par 31 to claim top honours in the third

LOW SCORES IN LADIES EASTER SCRAMBLE EGC THE Ladies Easter Scramble saw the team of Cathrine

edition of the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Junior Medal Championship recently.

Aboutorab Arghandiwal won the Boy’s Division with a round of 32 to finish one better than Asanka White while Aashaka Desai was the Girls Winner with a score of 33. The best gross prize went to Aryan Chordia with a 1-under-par 34

Clark, Jennifer Ayres, Phyllis Schulte and Gillian Black take home the top prize with a fantastic score of 63.9.

They were closely followed by the combination of Mitsuko Emmerson, Noemy Bertoul, Selma Kehoe and Christiane Sprunck who took the runner-up spot for their score of 64.6 while third place went to the team of Carolyn Thompson, Maura Duggan, Jenny Isles and Vera Woolnough.

HISTORIC CLEAN SWEEP OF FOUR FOR RAYHAN THOMAS EGC RAYHAN Thomas produced some

outstanding final day’s golf on the Majlis course to add the 2015 Emirates GC Club Championship to his fastgrowing list of triumphs.

Rayhan, who has already won the Emirates Amateur Open, the Emirates Junior Club Championship and the Dubai Creek Club Championship this season, becomes the first player to win all four events in one season.

Rayhan came from behind by posting a five under par 67 on the final day to record a tally of 142 and win by six strokes over defending champion Pontus Fredriksson with Johnny Aldridge taking third place.

In Division ‘A’ the top net prize was won by Kooros Daneshvar while Anil Shivanna took top spot in Division ‘B’.

KYRKIRIS CONQUERS THE THREE CLUB CHALLENGE

HANSON SECURES THE LADIES MEDAL EGC THE recent Ladies Medal supported by JW Marriot

Marquis Dubai saw past captain Elise Hanson run away with victory with a fantastic net score of 63 while Sue Hopwood finished runner-up with a net score of 71.

In the Silver A Division (hcp 0-14) it was Carolyn Thompson who took home the winner’s medal with a net 71 with Veronica Elias taking the runner-up spot.

Kavita Sehmi fired a level par 72 to win the lowest gross prize while the Bronze Division (hcp 24-42) was won by Mariana Kyrkiris for her level par net 72.

Left to right: George Horan, President, Dubai Duty Free, Leandro Reyes, Projects and Events Supervisor and Stephen Hubner, Director Of Golf, Dubai Creek, present Samuel De Souza with the trophy.

ARJUN AND NATALII GUPTA TAKE ‘OMA’ EMIRATES CREEK PAIRS THE brother and sister team of Arjun and

DCGYC Natalii Gupta combined to score a superb total of 44 points to claim top honours in the newly launched ‘OMA’ Emirates Creek Pairs at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

Finishing just one shot behind the Guptas and claiming the runners-up spot was the team of Suresh Shewakramani and Ashok Sindhu, while John Fellingham and Bilal Belaid claimed third place with a solid team total of 42 points.

THE ladies of Emirates Golf Club

EGC took to the fairways of the Majlis course armed with only three clubs and a putter in what was a fun event supported

by Kellogg’s Special K. In the end, four ladies finished tied on 36 points but it was Marianna Kyrkyris who came out on top, thanks to her tally of 20 points on the back nine which was enough for her to win via a card countback.

Yana Jamieson claimed top spot in the Silver Division (hcp 0-23) after scoring 18 points over the last nine holes to win in a countback over Fiona Berry.

In the bronze division (hcp 24-36) it was Carmel King who took the title over runner-up Sandra Chia.

Stephen Hubner and Luke Tidmarsh, Golf Operations Intern, present Natalii and Arjun Gupta with their prizes.

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Left to right: Rashid Hamood, Golf Experience Manager, Dubai Creek; Tarek Kassis, Regional Sales Manager, Audi; winner Rayhaan Thomas; Club Captain Joseph Ghossoub and Stephen Hubner, Director Of Golf, Dubai Creek, pictured after play.

THOMAS TAKES THE AUDI BACK TO BLACK OPEN RAYHAAN Thomas continued his run of fine DCGYC form as he produced a superb 3-over-par 74 to win the Audi Dubai Creek Men’s Back To Black Open via a card countack over Creek veteran John Fellingham.

Young Arjun Gupta claimed top honours in the net category with a superb 3-under-par net 68 while Mohammed Omer Safi finished as the net runner up with a 1-over net 72.

KALIA MASTERS THE MASHREQ THE April edition of the Mashreq Medal

DCGYC Championship saw Praveen Kalia fire a

superb score of net 68 to claim top honours in the prestigious event.

Max Burrow was back in the winner’s circle as he carded a round of 71 to take first place in the Men’s Division ‘A’, one shot ahead of Simon Earl.

Events were very closely contested in the Men’s Division ‘B’ and in the end Jamal Bin Marghoob and Tauseef Khan finished tied after rounds of 69 with Marghoob emerging victorious after a card countback.

John Fellingham picked up the Best Gross prize with a 78 while Ajay Dasani claimed his first win of the series by coming out on top in the Seniors Division with a 77.

Junior golfer Aashka Desai produced a fine round of 72 to claim top honours in the Ladies Division.

TH E R O YA L G O LF C LU B B A H R A I N

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D UBAI CREEK GOL F C LUB

Left to right: Teaching Professional Juan Fuentes, Director of Instruction Gavin Campbell, amateur winners Jason Smith, Todd Gillespie, Ben Elsworth and Barry Hobday, Teaching Professional David Edwards and Tournament Coordinator Sohail Singh are pictured after play.

PROFESSIONALS DOMINATE THE PROS’ CHALLENGE RGC THE Royal Golf Club’s team of PGA

Professionals continued their winning streak in the annual Professionals’ Challenge with a superb 13 under par gross score of 59. The team, which consisted of Director of Instruction Gavin Campbell, Teaching

NEW TEACHING PROFESSIONAL JOINS THE ROYAL GOLF CLUB RGC SPANIARD Juan Manuel Fuentes has joined

the Royal Golf Club’s roster of PGA Teaching Professionals after leaving his position at the Spanish PGA. Fuentes has experience of teaching in Poland and has played on the Spanish Tour, the Alps Tour and the Andalusian Tour and brings with him an enthusiasm to teach golf to juniors and also highlight the importance of fitness for golf.

“I’m very excited to be here in Bahrain and have found everyone extremely welcoming,” commented Fuentes. “I’m looking forward to meeting all the members and visitors to the Club and to passing my golfing knowledge on to them.”

MEAKIN WINS ROYAL GOLF CLUB “MASTERS” RGC TONY Meakin

Left to right: Rashid Hamood, Lady Captain Harini White, winner Praveen Kalia, Club Captain Joseph Ghossoub and Stephen Hubner.

Professionals David Edwards and Juan Fuentes and Tournament Coordinator Sohail Singh, got off to a strong start and never looked back as they secured the title by a narrow 0.8 margin ahead of Barry Hobday, Ben Elsworth, Todd Gillespie and Jason Smith.

narrowly won the third annual Members’ Masters Championship with Tony Meakin a score of 37 points ahead of Todd Gillespie and David Wales.

Each player who teed it up drew out the name of a professional who was competing in The Masters at Augusta and added their Stableford score to the professional’s converted Stableford score from the second round to give an average overall tally. Meakin luckily drew out Jason Day, whose 34 points when added to Meakin’s score gave him a huge winning total of 71.

Spain’s Juan Manuel Fuentes joins the Royal Golf Club team.

ARMSTRONG WINS THE DHL ORDER OF MERIT RONAN Armstrong

RGC took home prize for the Men’s Gross division of the DHL Order or Merit competition recently with a score of 72, two strokes Ronan Armstrong clear of Essa Ebrahim with Nasser Yacoob third with a 75.

With the Gross prize settled, the Net division saw Jason McNamara take the spoils, courtesy of a countback win over Ebrahim after they both signed for a 69.

Ashley Price was left in third place with a net 70 while in the Ladies division Julie Dixon took both the Gross and Net prizes thanks to her score of gross 95 – net 73. Saud Al Sharif won the Junior title with a net 75.

THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE DUBAI

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A RABIAN RANCHES GOL F C LUB

SALEMS BRAVE THE WIND TO REACH THE PAIRS FINAL TAMD AS the wind howled around

the Address Montgomerie Dubai course it was the husband and wife team of Alan and Sam Salem who coped best in the conditions to seal their place in the Daman Investments International Pairs UAE Final.

The Salems combined to score a total of 41 Stableford points and topped the pile by three points ahead of John Norton and Masood Sobati, and Akram and Ahmad Skaik, to take their place in the final, which takes place later this month.

JAMIE AND EMMA ROOMS CROWNED CHAMPIONS AT THE DUBAI DUTY FREE GREENSOMES THE duo of Jamie and Emma

ARGC Rooms, pictured above at the prizegiving ceremony with George Horan, Pesident, and Sinead El Sibai, Vice President – Marketing, Dubai Duty Free, dovetailed beautifully to be crowned the Net Champions in the Dubai Duty Free Greensomes Strokeplay tournament last month.

The Rooms recovered from a rocky start to close with a score of net 72 and win the mixed division by five shots from Anne Hainey and Jett Smith.

In the Men’s division it was the duo of Markus Hacker and Andrew Bojkowski, who teamed up to claim the top spot with a 74.

SULLIVAN TAKES 2015 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

CHARLIE SIMPSON SEALS SECOND CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP CHARLIE Simpson wrapped up the Club Championship for the second

THE eleventh edition of the ARGC Club Championship lived up to the pre-tournament excitement and delivered two days of outstanding play.

In the end it was Scott Sullivan, General Manager of ProGolf International, who emerged as the Men’s Champion as he came out on top after a riveting duel with defending champion Matthieu Charnelet.

Adele McKelvey won her eighth Ladies Championship while James Sayer took the Junior Championship with a gross 78. Marcello Pereira successfully retained his Net Title with a solid round of net 72.

TAMD time last month after rounds of 73 and 77 gave him an impressive

11-shot victory.

Ahmad Skaik and Masoud Sobati both finished with a total of 161 and took second and third place respectively after a countback while the Ladies Club champion was Barbara McBean, winning for the fourth time with a 169 tally, one clear of Gina Guillamon.

In Division ‘A’ Sobati’s net 143 tally saw him take the spoils ahead of Farhan Yaqub, while in Division ‘B’ Nick Burton shot a 140 to finish four ahead of Peter Samuel.

Vladimir Yakhlakov topped the pile in Division ‘C’ while the Ladies Division ‘A’ winner was Elizabeth Samuel with a superb 135 total, four clear of Elsie Bruce. Lori Reynolds sealed the Division ‘B’ honours with a Stableford tally of 78 points, well clear of Ruby Newn in second place.

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T OW ER LINKS GOL F C LUB JOHAN AND MANILYN BUXMANN MASTER MIDNIGHT MADNESS TLGC THERE was plenty to play for in the

inaugural Masters Midnight Madness tournament and coming out on top after a heroic display were Johan and Manilyn Buxmann with a fine score of 63.67.

Joe Wivou and Lanka Uduwatta battled bravely but ultimately fell 1.95 shots short in second place with third going to David Biddlecombe and Simon Payne.

JIHO PARK CLINCHES MAIDEN VICTORY JIHO Park finally broke through to

TLGC claim his first victory in the 9-hole weekly Stableford with a well crafted score of 19 points and a countback win over Julian Nutting, Ajay Kotwal and J.I. Park. Although he missed out on the top prize, Kotwal did win the Nearest the Pin prize on hole 12 with Jihad Azzam winning the same prize on hole 16.

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YAS LINKS GOLF CLUB CROMBIE CROWNED AUDI MEDAL WINNER YLGC ALASTAIR Crombie finished the

April Audi Medal as the Gross winner in Category ‘A’ with an impressive round of 77.

John Gower took the top spot in the Net division for his 81 while Thomas Kunt secured the runner-up spot for his round of 82.

Meanwhile, in Category ‘B’ it was Rory O’Brien who took first place finishing with a fantastic net 71, four shots ahead of John Summers.

DENNISON AND SHEEPWASH STAR IN ETIHAD OPEN YLGC THE recent Etihad Open Stableford saw Gareth Dennison bag 40

points to finish in top spot in Division ‘A’ by one point from Joe Ong with Randy Bradley taking third.

In Division ‘B’ it was Teresa Sheepwash who emerged on top with her tally of 42 points while Ying Hoong Fun took the runner-up spot with 40 points.

Prachak Svastisinha secured third place with 39 points.

REST OF THE WORLD RETAIN THE PHILLIPS CUP IN STYLE YLGC THE Rest of the World defeated Team Europe in the fifth annual Philips

Cup at Yas Links Golf Club, named after the course’s designer Kyle Phillips.

Reigning champions from last year, The Rest of the World, were determined to maintain their winning form and do the Yas Links architect proud and they did so with aplomb, winning an impressive 13 matches versus Team Europe’s 5.

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A LLE G R I A G O LF C LU B

CELEBRATING THE MASTERS AT THE ALLEGRIA AGC BOTH on and off the golf

RED-HOT HUNTER DEFENDS HIS JUNIOR TITLE YLGC RYAN Hunter took top spot in

the Yas Links Junior Open as he successfully defended the title he so convincingly won last year.

Hunter finished with an exceptional gross score of 71 to take top spot by

two shots over runner-up Dhruv Nair.

Nishtha Madan was crowned the Girls Champion for her impressive Gross score of 73 while Chloe Trinh was awarded the top net prize for her round of 66.

course, the first major of the year was richly celebrated at the Allegria Golf Club, Egypt.

The special themed weekend saw the Tempo clubhouse being transformed into a mini Augusta National with green carpets, indoor bunkers and green table decorations all around.

The Allegria even constructed their very own Magnolia Lane from where guests and golfers entered the clubhouse, creating the complete Masters experience.

The food and beverage team

also served green cocktails and had a special Masters menu all weekend.

Keeping up with the Masters tradition, the first themed event was a nine-hole par three competition that was followed by an American BBQ buffet inspired by last years’ Masters Champion Bubba Watson. The main event was The Masters Scramble and four lucky winners, Vinod Bhojwani, Maha Shoukry, Essam Al Fahim and Richard Mack, claimed their very own green jackets to cap a memorable week.

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S HARJ AH GOLF & S HOOTING CL UB

DUBAI IRISH GOLF SOCIETY SEAL MEMORABLE LEAGUE TITLE AGAINST THE GOATS SGSC THE Dubai Irish Golf Society

(DIGS) clinched the 2014/15 Conares Golf Society League with an excellent win against an inform Goats team.

The quality of golf on show was obvious to see, with many scratch team players making their mark on the leaderboard.

In the opening match of the final Mike Robson and Martin Vertigen from the Goats took on Michael Conneely and Eoin O’Grady of the DIGS. The DIGS team held the upper hand for most of the match and eventually sealed a 3-up win with a birdie on the 17th.

The second match’s turning point came on the 15th and it went in favour of the Irish. The DIGS pair were 1-up and the Goats had a six-footer to level the match which lipped out. It was a body blow and they never recovered with the DIGS

holding the next two holes and winning 2-up on the 17th.

On their way to the final the DIGS team had defeated a strong Al Laith team in the semi-final while the Goats booked their spot in the final with victory over the Massin Golf Society.

Prior to the semi-finals there were the formalities of settling the quarter-final match-ups. Massin dispatched the SAGS society with one win and a half from the two matches while the Goats took care of the Gulf Rock team with two wins in quick succession.

Although former winners Sport2Business were up early on against the DIGS they lost out to some excellent late play, while Al Laith almost threw away their leads to the Emirates Golf Society but held on to seal their spot in the semi-finals.

SIDDAWAY AND HOLMES TOAST THEIR BMW SOCIAL SUCCESS SGSC THE BMW Members

and Guest Social saw the return of an old partnership as Roy Holmes and Mike Siddaway combined for a net total of 62 to claim the title by three shots over Vivian Verma and Sanjoy Das.

BAHRAIN RULE THE ROOST IN KUWAIT Bahraini golf proved too hot to handle as their Junior and Men’s teams won their respective titles at the GCC Championship in Kuwait last month while the host’s Ladies team topped the pile in their division.

In what was a well-contested event at the lush Sahara Kuwait Golf Club in Kuwait City, the Bahrain Men’s team shot scores of 223, 212, 224 and 229 for an 888 total to finish clear of Saudi Arabia in second place.

The Omani team, which featured Azaan al Rumhy, Hamed al Rumhy, Ahmed al Balushi and Ali Hameed,

finished fourth with a 992 tally.The Bahrain juniors won the gold medal with a 472 score ahead of Qatar with Oman in third place while the Oman girls team also finished third in their competition behind the UAE and winners Kuwait.

Speaking after the tournament, Mundhir al Barwani, Chairman of the Oman Golf Committee (OGC) said, “It was good to see the junior and girls teams putting up a good fight. The level of competition was quite high. I am particularly impressed by the brave effort put in by the Omani girls, considering it was their first outing at this level.”

CAPTAIN VIVIAN VERMA PRODUCES THE GOODS CLUB Captain Vivain

SGSC Verma shot one of

the best rounds of his life to win the recent Unitechnik Monthly Stableford by four points.

The 10-handicapper shot rounds of 20 and 26 for his 46-point tally which saw him take the title.

In Division ‘A’ Ryan Taylor took the spoils with 42 points while a 39-point haul was good enough for Patrick Green to win Division ‘B’.

The Gross prize on the day went to Tony Bang after he defeated Zubair Firdaus on a countback with the pair locked on 29 points.

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2 0 15 GCC GOL F C HAMP IONS HIP S

The DIGS and the Goats line up before the final.

TEAM USA TAKETHE INTERNATIONAL TROPHY ADGC A TOTAL of 35 teams took to

the National Course recently in a titanic battle for honours in the International Trophy and coming out on top was the team of Charles Smart and Wedge Louison, who represented the USA. The scoring was close with the USA pair narrowly edging out the English team of Nick Mellor and Ken Raynor on a sixhole countback, while third place went to Corey Spring and David Crabbe from the UK. In what was the eighth staging of the event there was a special prize for the best-dressed team and that went to the Filipino team of J.V. Delos and Wayne Elep who were wearing some strongly patriotic outfits.

Charles Smart and Wedge Louison celebrate their victory.

GOLF STYLE

CELEBRITY GOLFER DRIVING RANGE TRAVEL FAIRWAY FASHION TEE TIMES

ROBBIE FOWLER English football legend talks about his love of golf Worldwide GOLF 87

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FOOTBALL LEGEND ROBBIE FOWLER OPTS FOR TIGER, LENNON AND McCARTNEY (OR RORY) FOR HIS FANTASY FOURBALL LIVERPOOL legend Robbie Fowler was one of the stars on show at the celebrity Icons Cup at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club last month.

The former ace marksman, idolised by Liverpool supporters, banged in a phenomenal 183 goals for the Anfield club and 7 goals for England in his 26 appearances and was one of the most feared strikers in world football during the 1990s.

Since his retirement from the game in 2012 he’s been busy working as a TV analyst both in Abu Dhabi and the UK and when he’s not doing that the 12 handicapper likes nothing more than to hit the golf course.

Here he tells RICHARD BEVAN about his love of the game and reveals why Rory McIlroy would be forced to make way for Paul McCartney in his Fantasy Fourball.

ROBBIE FOWLER WARMS UP AT DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB

WWG: What do you think of the golf courses in Dubai?

ROBBIE FOWLER: I love them. I think the courses here are fantastic. I was talking to Darren Clarke earlier and he said the course here at Dubai Creek is tough.

If he’s saying it’s tough, it’s TOUGH! So that tells you a bit about the courses over here.

But I love Dubai. I’ve been coming here for many years and I love it. I’ll always come back. You can take your pick of the golf courses – they’re all fantastic. This one here at the Creek is playing particularly well. I actually feel like a professional golfer the way they’ve got everything set up here. It’s brilliant just to be here.

WWG: A lot of footballers seem to be into golf – how did you first get into the game?

RF: You know what? I can’t remember, it was so long ago. I probably first picked up a club when I was about 13 or 14 but never really played a full round until I was probably 20. It was just to do something with my time in the afternoons after training rather

IN HIS LIVERPOOL HEYDAY FOWLER WAS ONE OF THE MOST DEADLY GOAL POACHERS AROUND

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S TA R S POT T I N G

than going in the betting shops or the pubs! I think golf courses are a brilliant place to spend time and as a player it gets you away from the rigours of professional football. You focus on the golf rather than getting distracted and sidetracked by all the other stuff that surrounds the life of a professional footballer. When you’re playing golf you’re solely focussed on trying to better your previous shot.

WWG: Which of your former football colleagues did you enjoy playing with back in those days?

RF: I played and still play a lot with Steve Harkness who is a very good golfer. Gary McAllister was superb as well. A lot of the older players such as, Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen and Gary Gillespie, were all good golfers as well. They used to come into training, when I was a young kid at Liverpool, in their golfing gear – so I knew what they were up to!

WWG: You hit a Ping G30 in the Celebrity Long Drive contest earlier, what do you think of that club?

RF: I like it. I mean some of the other lads were hitting it 60 or 70 yards beyond my ball. But I absolutely smashed mine 275 yards and I honestly don’t think I can hit it any better than that! The club is brilliant. I had a G25 and the G30 is obviously the newer model and it’s definitely working! I’m comfortable with it and that’s the main thing.

WWG: Who would be in your fantasy fourball if you could choose?

RF: I’d love to play with Tiger Woods. I think most golf lovers would say the same thing. Rory McIlroy would be in there and let’s throw in John Lennon as well. Being from Liverpool I’ve got to have a Beatle in there. In fact, why not leave Rory out and bring Paul McCartney in as well so we can have a good old sing song on the way round.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: ROBBIE REVISITS HIS OLD DRESSING ROOM AT ANFIELD

BEATLE PAUL McCARTNEY PREDICTABLY MAKES ROBBIE’S FANTASY FOURBALL

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D R I V I N G RA N G E

THE PERFECT MARRIAGE OF POWER AND GRACE 2015 DODGE CHARGER SXT 3.6 L The Dodge Charger has had a full body makeover and some highly impressive tweaks under the bonnet to match.

We road tested the 3.6-litre SXT model and while it packed the kind of punch you would expect from one of the world’s most famous muscle cars, the most surprising thing was the smoothness and sheer comfort of the ride.

This is down in no small part to the all-new TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transition which is standard across the entire line-up and provides the perfect combination of power and grace. The award winning V6 Pentastar engine also delivers an impressive 31 mpg while touches such as electric

FUEL CONSUMPTION

31 mpg

power steering, cruise control and a sumptuous all-leather interior add to the feeling that this is a car for all occasions.

All the bells and whistles are there, with a fully interactive Uconnect LED touch screen system giving you control of the air conditioning, seat temperature, Sat Nav, telephone, radio and everything in between. It also doubles as a highly useful rear parking camera screen.

With looks to kill, inspired by the iconic second-generation Charger from the late 1960s, more than 80 safety and security features and a total of 19 interior colour and trim combinations available, the new Dodge Charger undoubtedly ticks all the boxes.

PERFORMANCE

6.6s 0-60

POWER

300 bhp

Where to buy: Trading Enterprises (Dubai Festival City, Shk. Zayed Road, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah)

Toll Free Number: 800-4119 | www.mideast.dodge.com

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Indulge in Fresh Seafood Fare from Boulogne Sur Mer Seared Scallops with Lemon Vinaigrette, Sea Bream Sashimi and Whole Roasted Sole with Langoustine Butter are just a few of the delicious courses on this exclusive new menu, inspired by the coastal towns of Northern France.

The grand finale of St. Tropez Bistro’s culinary ‘Tour de France’ menu trilogy; this exquisite dining experience is not to be missed.

‘Tour de France’ Themed Set Menu 550 per couple inclusive of a bottle of French grape or sparkling.

275 per person inclusive of a glass of French grape or sparkling.

Available every Thursday and Friday evening throughout May at St Tropez Bistro, Mall of the Emirates.

St Tropez Bistro, Mall of the Emirates (West End) 04-3413415 www.sttropez.ae Complimentary valet parking via the hotel.

Division of CHI Hospitality L.L.C.

T RAV E L

Radisson Blu Residence

LUXURY IN THE HEART OF

GOLF LAND T he Radisson Blu Residence in Dubai Marina didn’t start life as a golf hotel. But such is its fabulously close

‘stay and play’ packages.’

The Address Montgomerie Dubai and the Emirates Golf Club are just a 3-iron away while Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa is just down the road and The Els Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates are both within easy reach.

But whether you’re visiting the region for a golfing holiday, a lengthy business trip or a family vacation, the Radisson Blu Residence Marina offers an unrivalled combination of flexibility and luxury.

Located right in the heart of Dubai Marina, with its huge array of restaurants, Malls, cafes and bars – and just a 5-minute walk from the beach – this excellent hotel offers 152 spacious studios, one bedroom and two bedroom apartments, fully furnished and equipped with beautiful Italian décor. The residence is

uniquely designed with a minimalist style and will appeal to those with an eye for chic elegance. The apartments offer a fully equipped kitchen, balcony, complimentary high-speed Internet access and covered parking. All rooms are equipped with a mini bar, voicemail, direct dial telephone and individual safe. All these are coupled with the Radisson Blu services concept, including one-touch service, where you can arrange concierge, room service, wake up call, laundry and housekeeping – whatever you need at the touch of a button 24 hours a day.

There’s also an exquisite outdoor swimming pool with a relaxing pool bar and a shaded kid’s play area, as well as a fully equipped Marsa Wellness Centre with sauna and gym facilities.

In addition to having the flexibility of making home cooked meals in your own apartment, the dining options at Radisson Blu Residence, Dubai Marina, include the excellent Wok Hei Asian restaurant, Mamma Mia Italian and The Marsa Pool Terrace, serving snacks.

www.radissonblu.com/hotel-dubaimarina

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F A I RWAY F A S H I O N Calvin Klein entered the realm of golf clothing in late 2007.

Since its inception, Calvin Klein has been a market leader in offering both cutting-edge design and innovative fabrics without skimping on quality. Calvin Klein golf continues to evolve its reputation as the brand of choice for consumers who want sexy, fashionable and performance golf apparel.

Calvin Klein is one of the leading fashion design and marketing studios in the world. It designs and markets women’s and men’s designer collection apparel and a range of other products that are manufactured and marketed through an extensive network of licensing agreements and other arrangements worldwide.

Recently Calvin Klein golf was the official apparel supplier for the Ricoh Women’s British Open and also sponsored former Girl’s British Amateur winner Henni Zuel.

Available at

l Dubai Mall l Mall of the Emirates l The Address Montgomerie Dubai l Al Badia Golf Club

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TEE TIMES

Parmigiani Tonda 1950 Squelette Attractive, graceful, stylish and elegant. Those are just some of the words that come to mind when you first lay eyes on the classy Parmigiani Tonda 1950 Squelette series of watches for men and women. Contrary to all expectations, the Tonda 1950 Squelette features a dial which is made from sapphire, making it perfectly invisible. The only part of this stunning timepiece that is metalised is the the rim, which serves to smartly hide the the points of attachment between the movement and the case. The men’s version of the Tonda 1950 Squelette is available in white gold or rose gold with a black or tan Hermès strap while the ladies’ version is available in a choice of stone-set white gold or rose gold with a red or “ficelle” Hermès strap.

www.parmigiani.ch

Jaermann & Stübi St. Andrews Links ST6 The design of the St Andrews Links Collection reflects the history and traditions of this historical and unique venue. The intricate combination of blue, silver, black and gold makes this watch a stunning addition on any wrist.

New colours, adornments and finishes make the entire collection one for all ages. By reworking the design and the dials of the Stroke Play Collection, Jaermann & Stübi has gone above and beyond to devote itself to current trends. Jaermann & Stübi remains the only mechanical watch that displays the number of strokes per hole, the hole currently in play and the total score, and compares the total score with the handicap. Whichever way you look at it, this is a golfer’s watch.

Find out more on facebook.com/jaermann.stuebi.uae Tel: + 971 52 992 3322 Watch out for the new Jaermann & Stübi shop at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club opening soon!

RADO DiaMaster Diamonds Diamonds are the jewels of kings and it’s only apt that RADO have gone above and beyond with precious stone in their new DiaMaster Diamonds collection. 72 sparkling diamonds create a breathtaking highlight around what is a large and open dial. The bezel is craftily designed to gleam playfully as it catches the light, making this watch rather hard not to notice. Black and plasma high-tech ceramic are decorated with rose gold, creating an exceptionally warm ambience while white ceramic is embellished to accentuate the yellow gold’s dazzling radiance. Whether you’re after glamour or elegance, or something in between, this watch has it all .

www.rado.com

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